Ready for the worst

We've had a lot of wake-up calls lately.

First the ice storms reminded us what life is like without electricity. They also shed light on some inefficiencies, both on private and public levels, of how we should handle our affairs when the lights and the heat go out. The ice taught us how to cooperate and take care of one another.

Then we had the floods, which taught many of us how vulnerable we are to Mother Nature, no matter how many levees and concrete canals we build. It taught us to review our insurance policies and served as a refresher course on how to use the wet vac.

And last week we had the earthquake. Not the Big One, of course, that's been predicted to erupt from the belly of the New Madrid fault just south of here, but a sizable earthen cough, officially a 5.2-magnitude quake from eastern Illinois.

Some are scratching their heads at all of the bizarre acts of nature. Others laugh it off. Some might believe these events to be warning signs for us all.

Whatever the case, the recent earthquake serves as another opportunity to remind us all about the need to think about the worst-case scenario. It never hurts to be prepared. By now, we have no excuses.