Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

We have all seen the devastating flooding that is currently taking place in Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.  If you were in this situation, would you be prepared to save your horses?  Emergencies can come in many different forms here in North Carolina.  It could be a hurricane, an ice storm, flooding from heavy rains, a severe thunderstorm, or even a wildfire.  Are you prepared to help your horses in the event of a disaster?  Creating a personalized disaster plan before disaster strikes can be a critical part of allowing your horses to survive the disaster.  Below are some helpful tips from the UC Davis Center for Equine Health on developing an individual disaster plan.  When creating your plan, consider the following:

1. Identify which disaster scenarios would be most likely for your place of residency and create a plan for each scenario.  Some parts of your plan may overlap, but your evacuation protocol may vary depending on the scenario.
   
2. Identify your evacuation sites based on your area of residency.
   
3. Consider forming a Neighborhood Disaster Committee.  If you live near other horse or livestock owners, consider having a discussion to form a "committee" to determine how you can help each other during a disaster.
   
4. Work with your county extension agent to develop your plan and to make connections with potential evacuation locations.