Daily Herald editorial

The more urban and civilized an environment gets, the less people tend to think about nature’s power. New York — and via newspaper, web and television images the whole world, got a reminder this week that the works of humans amount to little in the face of natural forces. For those less inclined to philosophy and more to the practical, superstorm Sandy also had a message: Be prepared.

Shielded behind insulation, glass and on-demand utilities, it is easy to forget that the world is a powerful and not necessarily kind place. When the wind blows and deluges come, anyone might find him or herself left without many accustomed comforts for a spell. That’s as true in Austin as it is on the East Coast. So Sandy’s lesson for all Americans is that it is not a bad idea at all to be prepared for the worst. It takes only a little planning and a few resources to equip any home or apartment for a few days of roughing it without electricity. Flashlights, candles, some water storage containers, food that doesn’t have to be cooked, a sleeping bag — the list doesn’t even need to be long to provide an effective solution for short-term emergencies. While modern civilization can’t protect us against nature’s storms, it does generally assure that help will be on the way in short order, so survival preparations need not be elaborate (although they can be).

Those who made basic preparations to be without power and running water undoubtedly weathered Sandy’s fury better than those who trusted to luck or who tried to get prepared at the last moment. The time to give some thought to potential emergencies is now. Sandy is the reminder that emergencies are definitely going to happen.