RV Safe Haven In Times Of Tragedy

RVers have a huge edge during times of disaster because they are mobile and self contained. In fact aid workers who rush to disaster areas often rely on RVs to support them while they give support to others. I reported on this topic in RVers Respond To Emergencies Faster Than FEMA! I am completely and utterly incensed at how the Burma government is not handling the emergency situation there. The UN estimates over 100,000 casualties and a BBC reporter in the region says he is seeing little sign of government help and foreign aid workers are banned from the area. In my opinion this intentional lack of action and barring of outside help is tantamount to genocide. China on the other hand is rushing aid to earthquake victims and has invited outside help including Japanese teams of sniffer dogs to help locate survivors. China is a long way from embracing the RV lifestyle, but they have begun to manufacture some RVs. I envision that in the next 30 years RVs will be more common there. In the meantime almost 5 million people are homeless and the Chinese government is working to provide them with shelter. So here is the crux of this article - what will you do if a huge natural disaster hits your neighborhood? Are you prepared? Is your RV set up and ready to go in such an event? Trust me, if you read this article and take the steps to make your RV disaster ready you'll sleep better. If you actually have to use it for such a purpose you'll be grateful. Here are some of the most important things you need to do to make your RV disaster ready. Keep a full fresh water tank (change it out every few months to keep it clean and fresh), full tank of fuel, pantry stocked, medical supplies including enough prescription drugs to get you through a couple of weeks. Charged house batteries, full propane tanks, generator and fuel and a few tools. Keep in mind that many of your neighbors will not have prepared and you will be in a position to help them out. Americans typically rise to the occasion in emergency situations and help each other. However, judging from the response from some folks during the Katrina disaster this isn't always the case so be prepared for anything. If you don't have an RV get one! If you can't afford one, then get a tent and the necessary camping equipment. Get yourself and your family prepared, stay prepared and hope you will never need to use your RV in a disaster scenario. Remember Murphy's Law, "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way." Advance preparation is the antidote for Murphy's Law. I also recommend checking out a few disaster preparation websites for more ideas. An RV will dramatically increase your comfort and survivability in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Be prepared! Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing