Rain, Rain, Go Away!

 Rain, Rain, Go Away
Come again another day
Little Johnny wants to play 

When we were little kids, my brother and I sing this nursery rhyme whenever there's rain because we couldn't go out of the house. . .(though there are times the rain didn't stop us from playing. . . hehe)

It has been raining non-stop for the past few days.  Our province (Pampanga) is one of the places in Central Luzon that is greatly affected by typhoon "Gener".

I don't know when was the last time I saw our garden look like this . . .  

After a couple of hours . . .

View of the front garden from our window

We've been living in this house for almost 40 years and
this never happened. . . water reaching this level

From a different angle

Outisde our gate 

As I write this post, the water level at home has gone down (thank you Lord!) but there are still other areas  in our province and in Central Luzon that are highly-flooded and impassable.  Properties were damaged, people got stranded or were evacuated, and sadly there were even lives that were 1ost.  Each disaster that we face brings out one thing we are good at, our resilience. . . and it is being tested. . . again.  

Thought of sharing with you a checklist I read from the "Your Emergency Survival Handbook" by Paloma which is called the "Bug Out Bag" checklist.  This bag is meant to be put together for each member of your family.

• Sturdiest life vest you can find
• Swimming pool floaters (optional).  The humble interior tire, anywhere available, will do
• Maintenance and first aid medicines (like anti-itch creams, topical and oral antibiotics, paracetamoil, antipyretics, cold medicines) sealed in plastics bags labeled "First Aid Kit: your name, age, blood type, allergies and otehr medical conditions)"
• Ready to eat dried food good for at least five days
• Bottle and can opener
• Drinking Water
• Your portable water purifier or water purifying tables
• Light jacket
• Malong
• Extra light clothes/rubber shoes you can into to keep yourself dry
• At least two flashlights and extra batteries
• Ropes (for general use, any rope will do)
• Strong and loud whistle attached to a brightly-colored lanyard for cord
• A small, portable radio and extra batteries

This list is definitely helpful, something we can work on or refer to at least.  I think it is important that in times of disaster, each household has their own emergency/contingency plan.  

Be safe everyone. . . Stay high and dry!