"Tornadoes Rip Through the Midwest," "West Nile Races Across the U.S.," "Ice Storm Paralyzes Central Kentucky," "Drought, Wildfires Scorch Western States," "Chemical Spill Forces Evacuation."

News headlines trumpeting natural and man-made disasters have filled the front pages of newspapers at an exceptional rate in 2003, and disaster planning has become this decade's Y2K phrase. Whether you aspire to become a disaster volunteer (and many are needed with a variety of skills) or simply want to be better prepared "just in case," the task begins at home. Suggestions made here will get you started!

How Prepared Are You?

Many horse owners, and the public in general, firmly hold the belief that "it will never happen to me." Emergency managers, on the other hand, have a saying: "It isn't a question of 'if,' but 'when' a disaster will affect you." The majority of disasters that affect horses never hit the nightly news or the daily newspaper. Dramatic rescues with horses dangling from helicopters are rare in comparison to the more commonly occurring disasters caused by barn fires, local flooding, power outages, trailer accidents, and weather-related events