What would you do if you were in Chile?

I have lived in earthquake prone San Francisco or Los Angeles almost all my life. But I am still riveted by images of collapsing highways and marooned boats coming from Chile after the 8.8 earthquake there. Just as the images of Haiti recently held our attention, another part of the world is overwhelmingly affected by a natural disaster.

This is close to home for me..Just last week I blogged briefly about my trip to Chile years ago. And now there are tsunami warnings for other places I have been – Australia, Tahiti, and just a few weeks ago, Hawaii. So I am reminded of what we all don’t like to think about: What would happen if we were caught in a natural disaster abroad – or even in another state, like Hawaii? And then I think -what if I were caught with my children?

There are some things you can do to prepare because disaster can strike at any time.

1) Register your trip abroad with the State Department. In the event of an evacuation, the State Department can assist. www.travel.state.gov

2) Make copies of your passport and itinerary and leave with family members at home, and put another copy in your luggage.

3) Bring the phone number of your doctor and the generic name of any prescriptions you take in case they get lost or damaged, or you are separated from them.. Meds in other countries often go by different names, and you need to know what is safe to take. I was in Australia during one of my pregnancies, and I didn’t know what I could take for the common cold because there was no “Sudafed” or “Benadryl”. Another time I caught a bad head cold in Argentina…and man! Whatever was recommended to me in the the local pharmacy knocked me out. The drug regulations and dosages in other countries are very different also so who knows what I took.

4) Pack a small first aid kit  - especially with bandaids for kids.

5) After a disaster, and if you have to leave the hotel, impress upon your children the importance of staying together, and if you can, make a wristband on them with their name and a phone number to reach you.  All of this can be scary for a child, especially if you are in a land with a foreign language, so try to reassure them and relieve their stress.

6) Consider travel insurance before you go. It often only costs 5% of your trip and could save you a lot more. Look for detailed policies that match your budget and your concerns. What if you were in Hawaii and you and your kids could not go to the beach the whole time you are there? Would that be covered? Check it out.

During that same trip to Australia mentioned above, we had to cut a trip to Hayman Island short because of an illness in the family – learned my lesson the hard way since we didn’t have travel insurance.

Of course, it would be more comforting to be in Hawaii during a disaster, where English is spoken, there is an organized and reliable response, and a better infrastructure than some foreign destinations. But I still feel for those families I am hearing about who are on vacation and are being evacuated to higher land…and may not be able to return to the beaches for days. Already Hilo International Airport on the Big Island is closed, so some may not even get home as scheduled. The important thing in this circumstance is to follow whatever civil defense workers tell you to do.

A friend of mine who has a house right on the beach in Oahu is possibly there – last week I talked to her relaxing in her beautiful home. But the reception is not always great in these locations, so I have not been able to reach her today. It is important if you do go somewhere like this, figure out a way to communicate with family members if a cell is not reliable…even by Twitter or Facebook if your internet works.

These are just a few ideas – the basic message is that it is more important than ever to be prepared.

****Good news: Jut as I finish this post, the tsunami warning in Hawaii has been lifted according to CNN….

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