I didn’t hear about the fertilizer plant in West, Texas until the sirens woke me near midnight. Actually, my teenagers woke me near midnight to tell me that the sirens were going off. Then the dog, who was asleep on my bed (Hunny is out of town), let me know that there was bad weather and blaring sirens.
There was no night of disaster here. Just a night without sleep. We’re stumbling around with Oklahoma hangovers (just another spring night in Oklahoma, spent lounging in a small closet under the stairs, listening to the radio and tracking storms on radar). It seems there really were tornadoes quite close. Some amounts of damage, I think. The rain and lightning were fierce.
But it was a night of disaster elsewhere. West, Texas. My heart hurts for them. I’m glad the nursing home residents are all accounted for. Y’all, I can’t watch the footage. Yes, I’m a coward.
Let’s talk about potential disaster and your dog, instead. Especially more than one dog. Big dogs. And kids thrown into the mix. I’d like to hear from y’all, since my tired brain isn’t functioning too well this morning.
Do you have an emergency plan that involves your critters? Your dog? Emergency plans (the Red Cross has good information for different scenarios), for people and animals, include things like:
- Know where your closest shelter is – for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, etc., that’s often going to be a school, but in the case of a tornado, that’s a downstairs closet or bathroom
- Know which shelter (or hotel) close to you accepts pets along with the people
- Have emergency numbers on hand – doctor, pediatrician, family, veterinarian
- Food and water – a gallon or two of drinking water, with a bowl for pets, and non-perishable food, including your pet food and a couple of treats
- Photos – I know y’all have this covered – a million photos of the dog and cat on your phone, as well as photos of your kids – just in case y’all are separated
- Medical records, medicine and first aid – my dogs are healthy, but one of my kids is allergic to penicillin – the whole family needs to know that
- Transport – cage, leash, etc. for your critters, and pillows and blankets for yourself and kids
When tornado sirens sound, we haul everything out of my craft closet under the stairs, everyone grabs a pillow, we turn on the radio and hang out in the dining room, waiting to hear that rumbling train sound. Well, if it’s daylight we sit on the back porch and watch the sky while the sirens sound. But our dogs …
Patches always claims the tub for herself. That would be a safe place for our family, but the dog already has dibs. Flash is stuck next to me. I think I’d probably have to put him in the tub if there really was a tornado, but there’s no guarantee he’d stay there. He’d have to be on my lap in the closet.
All that other stuff on the list? We’d just have to hope and pray that we survive and that someone finds us.
And the chickens and ducks? I hate to say this, but they’re farm animals. They live outside. I don’t have a cellar for us, much less for the birds. We checked on them this morning and it seems they slept through the chaos. Chickens do that.
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Speaking of chickens, the young ones (six and a half weeks old) were exploring yesterday. Jemima jumped into my lap. Lookit:
Then she discovered my phone. All the chicks love it when I reverse the camera and they can peck at the chicken on the screen.
And our Gimli is turning into quite the handsome bird. No idea what she is, but she’s pretty.
And that’s it today. I’d go back to bed if there wasn’t so much to do. It’s spring, y’all. Get your emergency list together. See ya tomorrow.
Until I write again …
Flea
