Texans Should Have These 10 Things On Hand For An Emergency

(Mix 93-1) 'Be Prepared.' I learned that phrase early on in life as a Boy Scout growing up in Grand Prairie, Texas. As a scout, we had to be prepared for everything we did - scout meetings, weekend campouts, fundraisers, summer camp, and life in general.

It's a motto that every Texan should live by every day. As we often say during the Children's Miracle Network Radiothon, you never know when an accident is going to happen.

What can go wrong in East Texas?

Well, plenty can go wrong. Take the events of last Friday afternoon when severe weather moved in and spawned at least three destructive tornadoes, the worst being in Lone Star and the Ellis Creek Reservoir area.

Hundreds of trees were tossed around like match sticks, cars were tossed around like they were toys, and homes were damaged or destroyed due to high winds, flying debris, and falling trees.

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Tornadoes aren't the only disaster that can strike East Texas. There is the risk of wildfires, flooding and high winds from hurricanes, and more recently earthquakes or worse, man-created events like mass shootings.

Texans need to be prepared in case of emergencies

Here's where the 'Be Prepared' motto comes in. Planning for a natural disaster can be a lifesaver in many cases. In the event you have to abandon your home because of severe weather or some other natural event or catastrophe, you'll have some essential information, supplies, and documents ready to grab and run out the door.

In addition to a 'grab-to-go bag', every family should have some sort of emergency plan in place along with a meeting place in case the family is split up during the emergency or before it.

A little preparation can go a long way and make life after a tragic event just a little less stressful, although it may not seem like it, it will.