Disasters in Kenya offer perspective on being prepared for emergencies

Kansans spend a lot of time planning and preparing for emergencies, which seems wise given the state’s location in Tornado Alley and its penchant for severe weather of all types.

But a story from Reuters about a couple of disasters in Kenya reminded me of the price that can be paid when preparations are poor or non-existent. It can be tough to prepare for something that hasn’t happened yet, but as that story shows, the potential price for not doing it can be prohibitive.

2 Comments

  1. soyjournalista
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    I think it has more to do with the poor state of the Country than emergency preparedness. Maybe the grocery store, yes, but when you have hundreds of people running to steal fuel…something isn’t right.

  2. Stan Finger
    Posted February 3, 2009 at 2:19 pm | Permalink

    Certainly poverty and desperation drove the crowd to attempt to steal the fuel. And, as such, that’s a bigger problem.

    But proper emergency preparation and response would have secured that fuel before the mob arrived and the tragedy ensued.