| I'm sure you've seen the news stories by now | | | | Also, May is the height of hurricane season across |
| about the water main that burst near the | | | | the southern plain states, and in recent weeks |
| Metropolitan Boston area. Not only were millions of | | | | we've seen torrential rainfall and very high winds |
| residents without water while the broken main | | | | through Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. It |
| was fixed, but when it came back on it was | | | | was the torrential rainfall that caused the heavy |
| deemed undrinkable for nearly two days. How | | | | flooding in Nashville, which has left their downtown |
| about all the heavy rains that led to river flooding | | | | area a virtual disaster area. |
| in Nashville? Residents there, as in Boston, have | | | | Being told about the advantages of being |
| suffered from the same problem. Boiling water | | | | prepared for these types of situations is nothing |
| just to have make it drinkable gets tiresome very | | | | new to any of us, but it does beg the question, |
| quickly, and bottled water quickly becomes a | | | | "Why weren't you prepared?", if you weren't. A |
| scarce and an expensive commodity in these | | | | well planned emergency preparedness kit can |
| situations. | | | | save you and your family from the agony of a |
| In addition to home security and family safety in | | | | natural disaster like in Nashville, or even just pure |
| our security tips section, we have addressed | | | | bad luck like in Boston. |
| issues of emergency preparedness. Some | | | | Bottled water, in this instance, is inexpensive. |
| residents in Boston and Nashville were prepared | | | | Every city has multiple outlets - generally at a |
| for these incredible and unforeseen disruptions in | | | | local grocery store - where bulk water can be |
| their water supplies, but the vast majority of | | | | purchased for pennies a gallon. This method is |
| residents in these two cities have learned a very | | | | cheaper than individual bottles of water, but even |
| hard lesson this week. | | | | those should be included in your emergency |
| The month of May is a turbulent month. The | | | | preparedness kit compared to no water at all. |
| snowcap is melting rapidly around the country, | | | | Ten gallons of water per adult and older child, and |
| which raises water levels in rivers and streams, | | | | five gallons per younger child should be in your |
| and also results in a lot of additional moisture in | | | | home storage for just these occasions. |
| the air due to evaporation, which leads to | | | | Home security systems and professional |
| additional rainfall. These are ripe conditions for | | | | monitoring are a big part of home security and |
| flooding as riverbanks swell and overflow, and | | | | emergency preparedness, but they're not the |
| water tables rise. Flash flooding, as we've seen in | | | | entire equation. Include drinkable water, flashlights |
| Nashville, can lead to the displacement of millions | | | | with fresh batteries, and a battery-operated radio |
| of residents, and in some instances and devastate | | | | as part of a complete home security plan. |
| an entire city as we saw with hurricane Katrina. | | | | |