During Hurricane Sandy, CVS/pharmacy kept its stores in affected areas open for as long as possible and deployed generators throughout affected markets as needed to provide power at key store locations in the event of electrical outages.

Patients could access their prescription information at the Pharmacy section of CVS.com or through CVS/pharmacy's iPhone and Android mobile apps.

Here's what you can do to avoid a natural disaster becoming a  personal health catastrophe:

1. Find out if your local pharmacy has a similar plan in place or alternate means for you to obtain your prescriptions. Remember, if the power is out, you will not be able to process credit cards or get online easily.

2.  Talk to your doctor and your insurance company about adding a month's worth of any prescription medications to your emergency kit. Different policies offer different coverage for emergency supplies of life saving medications. Remember to rotate that extra month supply so it is always up to date.

3. Keep a written record of your current prescriptions with you at all times, or use your pharmacy's online record like the one at CVS.com. This is especially important if you take multiple prescriptions.

4. For cases of prolonged power outages keep a hand crank or solar powered cell phone and/or USB charger on standby.

For a full list of tips on being prepared for a hurricane, visit the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

" ..the storm was a reminder of how the unexpected can completely wipe away homes and possessions. Managing finances is one of the key challenges people face in the aftermath of such a disaster."

Get a head  start on the next storm with this advice

Hundreds of thousands of residents in the tri state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been forced to evacuate their homes and are doing so with varying degrees of urgency. Many are already learning just how directly their quality of life is now related to what they had thought to set aside to grab and go. Are you ready to leave home in 10 minutes with all of your supplies in order?

Most of the families I've been in touch with  are--by virtue of being hunkered down in their homes or "sheltered in place" -- not dealing with the same immediate worries the evacuees are now having about food, water, shelter,warmth, hygiene and access to basic first aid. Those sheltering at home are, however, contending with  serious concerns about sanitation, communication and power and light.

Best website with comprehensive info and advice-- it's not too late: http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSFEMA-595e6b?reqfrom=sharer.

Twitter is offering -free promoted crisis tweets to the Red Cross, FEMA and more. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can receive Tweets from any user by texting ‘follow [username]‘ to 40404. For example, following  @RedCross  (text ‘follow redcross" to 40404).

Make sure your pets are tagged and/or microchipped along with a leash and collar and in an individual carrier. Red Cross shelters do not allow pets but will often partner with local animal organizations to provide services. Would you rather have your pet in a cage with others or in his/her own familiar carrier?

Oh, and don't waste precious preparation time duct taping your windows. You could create shards more dangerous than shattered glass, and a false sense of security. That's why FEMA always recommends hurricane shutters if you live in hurricane prone territory.

#sandy#beprepared#emergency#ek4a#wishweknew

Do 1 Thing originated with Lansing Emergency Management, but now people all over the country and internationally are participating in Do 1 Thing.

I spoke with the brains behind the project, emergency management specialist Ronda Oberlin, and Do 1 Thing planner Erika  Mahoney, both part of Michigan Homeland Security Region 1. They did extensive research on why people may be aware of disaster preparedness exists and even have the intention to  to act but in most ceases don't take action. Why? According to Mahoney, "people don't think it will happen to them, or think it's too expensive or they don't know where to start."

Addressing these sticking points, says Oberlin, is key to getting people started in a positive direction. "We want people to understand the risks without trying to frighten or  intimidate them. It's more of an empowerment issue. By making one thing a month we took out the time and money commitment and bring a level of awareness that is neither overwhelming or expensive."

The overall message is simple yet elegant:  you are the only one who can ensure your own safety and the safety of your family in a disaster.
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To participate go to www.do1thing.com once a month and download a new fact sheet. Choose one thing from the fact sheet to do with your family.

Do that one thing.

The Red Cross app offers preparation guides, first-aid tips and emergency information, in addition to GPS technology that can pinpoint the user's location and send National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather alerts. Users also can enter loved ones' locations and monitor severe weather in their areas.

The hurricane app provides a storm preparation guide and  pre-programmed "I'm safe!" messages for social media, plus maps to storm shelters.

Tornado and earthquake apps will be added soon, according the American Red Cross website

Even those of us who have had CPR training in the past aren't always sure we will be up to the task when the time comes. How many breaths' to give? How to cover the nose and mouth so air doesn't escape? Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. It's too bad then that 88 percent of cardiac arrests happen in people's homes.  Put very simply: The life you save with CPR is mostly likely to be someone you love. Once again: YOU are the first responder!

The good news is that  the American Heart Association guidelines have been modified in past years to emphasize  "hands only CPR" or CPR with just chest compressions. It's been proven to be as effective as CPR with breaths in treating adult cardiac arrest victims. First call 911, and then just remember that the recommended rate is 100 compressions per minute.

That's the easiest part  if you can just keep time to the Bee Gees song, " Staying Alive" .

That's right irony lovers: the beat of "staying alive" really is the beat to staying alive.

I guarantee you will now remember to administer CPR compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive." The second thing I predict you will retain is that the comedian Ken Jeong seen in this video is a trained doctor himself!

According to the report, any such shut down whether triggered by natural disaster, terrorist attacks, or pandemics would have “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”

Think I'm Chicken Little? (I've been called worse) Consider this; a day after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans,all transportation flow into the region was suspended, forcing hundreds of trucks loaded with emergency supplies to wait for permission before they could enter the area. As a result, thousands of residents of the city who were not prepared in advance were disenfranchised from all of the food, water and supplies that were essential for survival. That's just one city for a few days and we all know how that turned out.

If nothing else convinces you to prepare yourself this should do it. A few minutes to put a few things aside  could mean the difference between life and death.

And get this: all of our just-in-time systems are built upon the concept of unhindered transfer of money and credit. If that flow becomes restricted or money becomes worthless how will you pay for what you need the most? What is money when regular economies collapse? That's for another post. But I'll give you one word to ponder: Greece is the word.

Now I'm going to surprise you a bit by saying that it's not ALL about having the right kit! In the immediate aftermath of a storm, you need to figure out if you can stay where you are or if you need to get out. Then you can grab your kit. Take a few minutes to plan now so you are not overwhelmed when the time comes.

• Create an emergency communication plan with your family.  That's a fancy way of saying you need to agree on an out-of-state family member or friend to be your emergency contact in case of separation.

• Identify places where you will go in case you need to evacuate. Sounds obvious. But consider this scenario from a firefighter I know. A father who did not know his daughter had already escaped to a neighbor's house tragically went inside their burning house to find her and did not make it out. If they had agreed on a meeting place (that neighbor or some other nearby landmark) this would not have had a sad ending.

•  Map out two possible evacuation routes if you will not be able to stay in your home. Do you know where the most likely shelters will be in your community? Check with the Red Cross.

• Pets need their own plan B if you have to evacuate. Unless they are service animals, pets are not allowed in American Red Cross evacuation shelters for health and safety reasons. Make sure they have id at all times. Microchip is OK. BARKCODE  is better.  Is there a friend who can take them? Contact your veterinarian or the Humane Society for information regarding sheltering procedures and resources for pets.

Then you can worry about what to call the next storm.....