Recovery is a Long Road...

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

I came across a story this weekend on the train wreck in Quebec Canada and was struck by two things.  First that it had been a year since that happened, and what a horrible disaster, a town literally  blown off the map.  And the second thing was in the story they mentioned that they were getting ready to commemorate the event but "Many townspeople aren't ready for it."

So in our short attention span world of 30 second sound bite news and expecting your coffee order in seconds, how long do you think it will take you & your community to recover from whatever disaster that could befall it? Whether it is something like a tornado, earthquake or tornado or even a train derailment in the dark of night, how will you recover? And what will you do when the one year anniversary comes and you still aren't whole? 

Some things to think about: 

• When was the last time you reviewed your insurance with your agent? 
• What is his/her name & phone number?
• Where is your policy? Is it some place safe in case your house is affected (that's what the policy is for, right, so why keep it in the house)?
• How will your family reconnect if separated?
• What if you can't reenter your neighborhood for days? Weeks? Ever?
• Does your local government have a plan to help the city recover?

So not a panic point, just take the extra time this weekend to think about these questions.  And please don't dismiss this as "it can't happen here", these communities and others are still in recovery:

Sandy recovery 

Moore Oklahoma recovery

Quebec


Disaster Dave