By DIANA VAN ORDEN
diana@newsroom.byu.edu
Twenty-three days left and counting until the world becomes witness to the phenomenon known as Y2K. Because no one can accurately predict the full extent that Y2K will bring, the best advice experts offer is to be prepared for a possible emergency by stocking up, without stockpiling and panicking.
'Personal preparedness for the year 2000 transition is no different from how one should normally be prepared for the usual winter storm,' said John Koskinen, chair of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.
The President's Council advises people to be prepared for possible temporary disruptions by having a three-day supply of food and water, flashlights, extra batteries, medicine, a first-aid kit, a battery-powered radio and extra clothing on hand before Jan. 1. The Council also advises people to keep the gas tanks of their cars at least half full or and not to hoard large amounts of cash.
Fear for the worst-case scenario has caused many people to stock up on supplies for the new year. Emergency Essentials, an Orem-based emergency preparedness company, has seen a 400 percent increase in sales this year over 1997.
'In 12 years of business, I've never seen a crowd like we had,' said Dave Sheets, Emergency Essentials President.
He advised, however, that people should not use Y2K as the only reason to be prepared for the new year. 'Y2K is only one of many reasons why we should be prepared,' he said. Preparation is a good principle to adhere to since no one knows when natural disasters or personal crises will hit, Sheets said.
Rob Brough, spokesperson for Zions Bank, said that people should not withdraw more cash from their accounts than they normally would over a long weekend.
'The safest place for people's money is in the bank,' Brough said. 'There's no way we are going to lose people's accounts. They are not just going to vanish in midair.'
Brough also suggested that people should have a hard copy of their most recent bank statement on hand, which he said is always a good practice anyway.
To learn more about what can be done to get ready for Y2K, check out the government's Web site at http://www.y2k.gov or call its toll-free hot line at 1-888-USA-4-Y2K.