Zombie (and Other More Likely Disaster) Preparedness

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blog this week on preparing for the possibility of a zombie apocalypse included some tips about preparing a disaster kit for individuals and families. The kit looked suspiciously like the same one Baltimore County emergency management officials have been urging residents to build for years.

Lt. Mark Demski, of the county's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and county officials had no comment on the likelihood of a flesh eating horde rising from the grave in the near future but said the CDC's advice was solid.

Diaster kits are always a good idea. Demski said the CDC and county recommendations never cover just one situation like tornadoes or hurricanes (and, we assume, zombies).

"They're all going to be all-hazard type kits," Demski said.

And Demski liked the unique approach the CDC took to draw attention to disaster preparedness. (The blog post crashed the federal agency's servers Wednesday.)

"If it gets the issue of preparedness in front of people then its a good thing," Demski said.

So, even if you're not a believer in the possibility of a coming undead scourge, it might be a good idea to prepare a kit for the more likely flood or tornado.

And if you do believe, I'd recommend loading that CDC page sooner rather than later. It loads slower than zombies walk. Remember, the end of the world may be ushered in this Saturday with a worldwide earthquake, according to www.wecanknow.com.

And while you're at it, check out the information the county provides on preparing for an emergency — you know, just in case.

Keep up with what's happening in Baltimore County politics (and zombies) by following Bryan P. Sears on Twitter and Facebook.