January 20, 1999 Special Presentation

by Kellye A. Junchaya

Author

They Laughed at Noah
Preparing for Natural Disasters

SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Library Online Presentation
Wednesday - January 20, 1999 - 12:00 Noon EST

They Laughed at Noah
Preparing for Natural Disasters

Kellye A. Junchaya
Author

The Virtual Library hosted Kellye A. Junchaya in an interview of her new book, They Laughed at Noah - Preparing for Natural Disasters, on January 20, 1999. Kelly Junchaya is a Bio-Engineer from Arizona State University who currently lives in New Jersey. She explained that her interest in disasters resulted from living in Texas when a Hurricane Gilbert hit the state a few years ago. Shortly afterwards, she started researching natural disasters seriously and decided to write a book about the subject of individual and family preparedness for disasters.

The book is formatted in three sections:

• The first is on natural disasters and describes each major type of disaster in detail, with a story of a past event. Each type of disaster is explained scientifically, including the destruction caused by the disaster, and is followed by what people can do specifically to be prepared
• The second section is emergency supplies and lists what is needed for a family plan, first-aid kits, evacuation kits, car kits, etc.
• The last section is on food and water storage, suggests amounts and types of foods, how to store, maintain, rotate, use and keep pests off the foods; water treatment is also discussed.

KELLY A. JUNCHAYA

Author

Kellye Junchaya is a Bio-Engineer from Arizona State University. After getting her degree, she moved to a small town in Texas on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Within a month, hurricane Gilbert moved into the Gulf, compelling her to evacate her home. Although the hurricane did not damage her city, it impacted her life. She has been studying natural disasters with fascination since that time.

Kellye now lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. She enjoys sports, camping, reading and especially being a mom.

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INTRODUCTION

Excerpt from Introduction to
They Laughed at Noah -- Preparing for Natural Disasters

Why is it human nature to wait until the last minute to buy extra food and get ready for emergencies? Is it because we don't think an emergency will ever arise that will affect us? I doubt it. Is it because we think we can always beat out the storm or other frantic shoppers? Probably not. Is it because we are so busy living our hectic lives that we can hardly plan for today, let alone tomorrow? Maybe. Is it because we do not have the space, money, time, energy or motivation to store extra supplies? Possibly. Is it because we just do not know how? I believe this is the main reason and it is the reason I decided to write this book. If people really knew how to be prepared and store extra food and water in small spaces and not have to spend a lot of money to protect their families and feel secure, more people would do it. …

The consequences of disasters alone should motivate you to start preparing now. Besides natural disasters, there are other emergencies such as chemical spills, evacuations, strikes, layoffs, broken automobiles, accidents, etc. With the proper planning and foresight, the bad times can be handles with relative ease. There are also every day inconveniences like plain old bad weather, sicknesses, unexpected company, bad traffic, extra busy days, overtime work hours, etc. If you are prepared, you will never have to go to the store on days like that.

The purpose of this guide is not to scare you into getting ready for disasters or for hard times that may arise in the future. The purpose is to motivate you to start planning ahead and to teach you how. …When you follow the guidelines given, the end result will be better protection for your family and peace of mind that you are ready to handle unexpected situations.

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