• Gary Sandler
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    Published 2 November 2019

    When’s the last time your lights went out? Or your gas? Or your water? We’ve all been there at one time or another. Some interruptions last just a few minutes; some last hours. In not-so-rare instances, large swaths of populations can be inconvenienced for days, weeks or even months. Take for example the blackouts that millions of Californians are currently experiencing.

    One thing we all have in common when we find ourselves facing that surreal moment in time when we realize we’ve lost our connection to the grid (or in my case misplaced my smartphone) is that we have no idea how long the outage will last. That’s why it’s important to have plans in place to deal with any service interruption or disaster that may come our way. I used the word “plans” because it’s a good idea to have two: One that will sustain you in-place for a minimum of three days, and another in support of an evacuation.

    The internet is full of tips about disaster preparedness, and www.ready.gov is one of them. The site is replete with lists for about every situation imaginable. From knowing how to receive alerts from local officials (try www.nixle.com) to what to do with Fido and grandpa when calamity strikes, it’s all there. Disaster preparedness information is also available from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security (www.nmdhsem.org).

    Most of us are of the opinion that we won’t be affected by a natural or man-made disaster. That’s because we don’t typically take into consideration situations like wildfires that interrupt major electric transmission lines elsewhere in the state or region, chemical or biological spills from trucks or trains, arson, earthquakes, extreme weather, drought, explosions, and myriad other calamities that can interrupt our lives for unknown lengths of time.

    Speaking of interruptions, the Denver Post reported in 2016 that a whopper of a snowstorm left 290,000 area residents without power for up to 18-hours. How many of those people had a disaster plan in place? According to FEMA, only 39 percent of them did. If Denverites are like the rest of us, almost 177,000 of them were scrambling to find candles, batteries and who knows what else at some point during the storm. Will you be one of “those” people when your lights go out?

    See you at closing!

    Gary Sandler is a full-time Realtor and president of Gary Sandler Inc., Realtors in Las Cruces. He loves to answer questions and can be reached at Gary@GarySandler.com or 575-642-2292.

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    • About Author

      Gary Sandler