By Sarah Light
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When BYU student Shawna Windom drives around her hometown in Covington, La., she doesn?t even flinch at the sight of the broken down trees or crushed homes on the side of the road.
For her, the destruction from Hurricane Katrina has become a new way of life ? almost the norm.
A little more than three months ago, Windom, a senior in communications, was scheduled to fly back to BYU for the new semester. But when her flight was cancelled before the hurricane hit, she decided to stay home with her family.
During the weeks that followed, Windom described the scene of her neighborhood as one of chaos. Because of knocked out phone lines and blocked roadways, there was no emergency assistance for almost a month, she said. Although her family had food storage, most of her neighbors were not as fortunate. Outside on the streets, people begged for water and food.
?It was scary because we weren?t sure how long we had to live like this,? she said. ?The whole thing was depressing. Nobody knew where their next meal would come . Nobody knew when it was going to end.?
Now, as the cleanup has only merely begun, Windom and others across the country have recognized a heightened need to prepare for future emergencies and natural disasters. While many begin to prepare physically, many others have also acknowledged the need to prepare emotionally and spiritually for times of disaster.
Physical Preparation
Kerry Baum, emergency preparedness coordinator for BYU, said one of the best things people can do to prepare for emergencies is to learn how to respond in a given disaster situation.
?I always tell people that what you know about how to respond to emergencies is more important than what you have,? Baum said.
For example, in an earthquake, people should not run outside because there are always objects falling, he said. Instead, they should look for places to get under things to protect themselves from falling debris.
In addition to this knowledge, he said the university encourages students to buy enough groceries for the week when they go to the store and to store at least three gallons of water.
The university has enough food to feed 33,000 people a survival diet for about two meals a day ? for three days. The food is rotated through a warehouse and into the dining halls each day, he said.
Because the system does not have baby food or diapers, Baum encouraged students with babies to keep at least a three-day supply of those essentials on hand. People should also never let prescription medicines go below three days.
Elizabeth Keel, community outreach director at the Mountain Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the Red Cross encourages people to have a complete 72-hour kit, including enough food and water for three days that will help until local government can get there.
When the hurricane hit, Windom said she learned the benefits that can come from these elements of food storage. In what she called an inspired act, the bishop in her home ward scheduled a food storage class a short time before the hurricane. As a result, her family and many other families in their ward had food when the hurricane hit. Their families were able to stay self-sufficient until further aid was given.
Now, other families, of many different religions in her area, have started collecting food storage.
?People are starting to prepare themselves for the next disaster,? Windom said. ?It?s going to get worse and worse and worse ? that?s how it?s going to be.?
At a time when it would have been very easy to get discouraged, Windom said she found comfort in the preparation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
?Be comforted in the church?s knowledge of preparation, and do what the church says,? she said. ?You don?t have to go above or below. You can be comforted in that.?
Emotional and Spiritual Preparation
Looking back on her experiences, Windom said she thinks the things she will appreciate most now are her family and her knowledge of the gospel.
?Learn from the past,? she said. ?Know that God has his hand in everything, and there?s a purpose for everything.?
Elder Henry B. Eyring,a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave additional instruction for preparing spiritually for disasters in the October 2005 General Conference.
He said: ?What we need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation. It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends.?
Elder Eyring said learning to prepare early is an important factor of spiritual preparation. This kind of preparation, which may be even more important than physical preparation, should start early because it takes time to develop.
?What we will need then can?t be bought,? Elder Eyring said. ?It can?t be borrowed. It doesn?t store well. ? What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation.?
Although life will not be back to normal for a long while, Windom said she is hopeful of beginning the winter semester back at BYU.
?I think is a little more normal,? Windom said. ?It?s never going to be like it was before. It changed everyone?s lives. I don?t think that especially here things are ever going to be the way they used to be.?