Extraordinary Profiles
Monica: It is amazing that many skills and talents that you acquire while serving in the military are transferable to civilian life. Lorraine: Yes it is. That’s the beauty of it. I could have used my skills as a healthcare administrator, but I had a disability and I decided to become a writer and entrepreneur. Monica: Talk a little about Lorraine Holmes Milton. Who is she? Lorraine: Lorraine Holmes Milton is a very caring and compassionate person. I’m willing to help and give to anyone who needs service or assistance. I am a veteran, inventor, founder and an author and poet. I wrote the book, Disaster Master Plan, because I experienced the devastation of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. It was horrendous. Monica: In what ways did that storm impact your life, both at that time and over the years? Lorraine: In the short term, the impact was physical damage -- a lot of water damage in our home. There were trees that had fallen in our yard. We stood in very long lines trying to get the most basic supplies that we needed to survive, such as food, water and ice. Some people who stood in line with babies needed diapers and formula. It was awful and so I said to myself, “I need to develop something so that the next time this happens I will have a disaster kit.” Monica: How did living through that experience change your perspective on life? Lorraine: It helped me realize that I need to be prepared for disasters. Now I am trying to encourage the entire nation to be prepared for disasters. Everyone should have the basics or essential items for disasters such as food, water, an emergency radio, a flashlight, a nebulizer for asthma, or an oxygen tank, for example. People need to be prepared. Monica: I would imagine your purpose in writing your book, Disaster Master Plan, Prepare Or Despair - It’s Your Choice, was to give people insights into how to prepare for any type of disaster. Additionally, it is a great book because you actually list many different items that people should already have available.
Lorraine: Yes, that is correct. I also sent a letter to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden and 60 members of Congress, to request their assistance in giving information to their constituents. I started a campaign called the One Million Woman and Man Disaster Master Plan Campaign. The campaign is designed to get one million Americans prepared. I know there are 300 million Americans but I feel that one million is an excellent point from which to start. Those one million can assist their families and friends and from there we create a ripple effect. Monica: Absolutely. Once you get people on board, and they become excited about it, they will pass it along to others. A lot of people, regardless of how often they are told that bad weather or some type of disaster is coming, just don’t prepare. They think they can weather the storm. Is there a message you can provide to encourage people to rethink their priorities? Lorraine: Absolutely. Please prepare for disaster. Don’t put your family members and loved ones in harm’s way just because you are too stubborn to evacuate. If the authorities tell you to evacuate, then follow their instructions. I recently sent a letter to the White House, asking President Barack Obama or any Congressman to present a bill that says, if you ask for assistance such as food and water, a radio, flashlight, blankets or anything, or if you ask for assistance from a fire department to evacuate you from flood waters, once the evacuation or the disaster is over, you should be billed for any funds expended as a result of your not evacuating as requested. I understand that some people cannot afford the basic elements of life. Everyone doesn’t have the means to purchase extra items. If you make over $50,000 a year, those are the people that I believe should be sent a bill for reimbursement. Monica: When you are faced with a potential disaster such as a hurricane or tornado and you have not prepared beforehand, what are some of the most important things a person should be concerned about and handle first when time is of the essence? Lorraine: First, you should have prepared in advance. Second, you should have a disaster preparedness kit in the January-February 2014 | Exceptional People Magazine | 7