Floods are typically caused by winter snow melting or heavy spring rainfalls. However a flood may start its destruction can cause expensive property damage or even pose a serious threat to families. In 2011, there was $8.4 million in flood damages and 113 people dead. Floods can happen in almost any area but people closer to large bodies of water are much more prone to being affected. This is why taking the time to educate oneself on the potential dangers and being prepared can go a long way. In 2011 the Mississippi river flooded, forcing many families out of the surrounding area on the coast of the river. One of the families affected was mine. At around six O’clock one winter morning my mother woke me up and i replied “i’ll get up in five minutes” thinking it was time for school. After telling me the house was going to be flooded soon i bolted out of bed and ran to the window. What i saw terrified yet excited my ten year old mind. The Housatonic river had sit 2 or so acres away from the house in our backyard and the water had already risen and moved halfway across the yard. We were renting a fully finished basement as an apartment and this flood would more than likely destroy everything that wasn’t moved to the top floor of the house where our landlord lived. Glacier like forms of ice sat in the backyard for days serving as reminders that our apartment and so many of our neighbors homes had been destroyed. After months of reconstruction of the apartment we were finally able to move back in. a year later another flood invaded our home forcing us out but this time we were prepared and got all of our stuff out before anything was destroyed. Having a second flood was frustrating to my family but we knew what had to be done in the situation and adapted to it. Some of the things we used were hand crank flashlights, towels, sheets, and blankets to block doors as we moved our stuff, and a small kit with an air mattress, portable air pump and spare clothes ready in a bag. Every flood victim is different but all share the feeling of hopelessness that comes with the rising water levels. That why i decided to take up this cause for my toolkit in order to design something that can help anyone in that situation at least survive with enough stuff to rebuild. Some things i would like my toolkit to cover are the fundamentals of realistically saving yourself from a flood and the precautions that come with moving about in what could be hazardous water conditions. First up in my toolkit will be a waterproof manual explaining a couple of these fundamentals. Next would be a first aid kit equipped with some purified water and non perishable foods which could be essential to surviving if trapped in a home due to flooding conditions. Toiletries are another essential along with things like gloves and rain suits which i would like to include in the toolkit as well. Many other toolkit addressing this issue follow the same idea of having basic necessities ready, however my toolkit is marketed as a waterproof bag that will contain all these items. One aspect of floods that people sometimes don’t take into account are that maybe the person didn’t know their house was going to flood and the water is already inside. If this is the case then some of these essentials might already be ruined by the water. A waterproof bag gives someone ultimate security in the instance of a flood. Also, the manual included will give great insight into small details to remember such as being safe in flood water and how to preserve water before the flood and also a list of supplies for post flood. For most people unknowing of areas prone to flooding they might not know what the first step is in this scenario that’s why my manual will also include a couple evacuation shelters located throughout New York state. To wrap up, this is a cause that means very much to me as it has affected many people i know including myself, putting us in dire or uncomfortable living conditions. Recovery from such a devastating natural disaster is also a long and hard process that I know all to well.
