Once upon a time we thought that "disaster preparedness" meant having a few jugs of water, a flashlight, some cans of beans and a manual can opener. Since then we have been up close and personal with sobering events such as Hurricane Katrina and the more recent fires in Southern California that caused most of us to re-think how well prepared we actually are. What would you do if everything you've come to count on every day was gone. I mean gone! If something happened this very afternoon, do you have enough gas in your car to drive to safety? No going to the nearest convenience store to fill up. The store is gone. No running to the ATM for cash - that's gone, too. And even if they haven't been destroyed, with no electricity they don't work. Most of us are better prepared for a trip to Grandma's than for a natural disaster.

The Department of Homeland Security has a handy website, www.ready.gov. This year the goals of National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2008 are:

• Get a kit
• Make a Plan
• Be Informed
• Get Involved

There is so much great information on the website including Ready America for home and family, Ready Business and a Ready Kids video.

Being prepared means being ready for any kind of emergency from a hurricane to a power outage to a manmade disaster, such as an explosion. Last month a propane plant exploded in Toronto. My Twitter Friend, Franke James, describes it and her thoughts afterward in her marvelously illustrated blog. I was reminded of the PEPCON explosion near Las Vegas on May 4, 1988. (My goodness, has it been that long?) Just because we don't live in Tornado Alley doesn't mean we are immune!

This information is so important, I'm going to post it on The Sensible Shopper, too, with some suggestions about buying the supplies needed for your emergency kit.