25 years ago the news headlines were warning of a potential disaster caused by errors in computer code. Multiple computer operating systems were based in earlier code written with only two digits for the year in their dating function. That meant that when the century changed from the 1900s to the 2000s there were potential confusions in dates in the computer systems. Businesses invested significant funds in having the code in their computers checked and corrected for the problem. The issue was called Y2K, shorthand for “year two thousand.”

I assisted with a few funeral for people who died in the early 2000s who had not expected to live as long as they did. They had repurchased funeral markers, sometimes at the time of the death of a spouse and had their names etched into the stone along with their year of birth and the digits 19 for the year of their death, expecting that the stone could then be finished with the correct two digits following the 19. When they lived past January 1, 2000, the stones had to be corrected, sometimes resulting in a less than perfect appearance. It wasn’t the same as the Y2K problem, but it illustrates how confusion can occur.

Since then most of us have gotten used to entering four digits for the year of our birth when filling out forms.

Back in 1999, however, the Y2K problem threatened at least a bit of confusion at the turn of the century. The most dire predictions included reports that power systems might go down, supply chains might not be supported, and even that essential services such as delivery of water and operation of sewage plants might be threatened by faulty computer code. A member of the congregation I was serving asked me in all seriousness, “What are you going to do if everything fails on January 1?” I had to be careful with my response because I shared none of that person’s fears. I was confident that life would go on as usual and that we would not face major problems. My answer was something like this: “I will come to the church and together we’ll make a plan to serve those who have needs. There are a lot of resources here and this is where people will come for help.”

As it was, I checked my computer early in the evening on New Year’s Eve. Since computer systems had not failed in Japan or Australia with the coming of the new year in their time zones, I figured that things would be OK the next morning where I lived. I slept without worry and life went on as usual the next day. I wondered how much worry and lost sleep had occurred for the church member who had asked me about what I would do.

I was reminded of the Y2K fears years later when supply chain issues during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic caused shortages of goods on store shelves. Asked by a church member about what we would do if we ran out of toilet paper, I indicated the cases of toilet paper in the church’s normal inventory and the fact that the church wasn’t using much of the supply with in person worship suspended. “If you totally run out, we could probably get you a roll from the church,” I said. We didn’t stock up and we never ran out of toilet paper at our house. We never even borrowed a roll from our camper which was in winter storage, but had a supply of spare rolls.

Sometimes worrying about potential disaster can divert attention from everyday living. On the other hand, totally ignoring the threat of disaster can leave people unprepared at a time when a little advance preparation could make a big difference. Back to back hurricanes in Florida and other southern states serve as reminders of the importance of being prepared and having supplies in the event of a disaster. In other communities across North America wildfires have prompted short notice evacuations. Having a disaster evacuation plan in place simply makes good common sense for all people.

Because churches are among potential places of refuge in disaster, I have been part of a working group at our church that has been coordinating with local disaster preparedness officials to do what we can to prepare the church to serve as a shelter if need occurs. Through those meetings I learned that our region is not in a place threatened by hurricanes or tornadoes or even wildfire. The city of Bellingham’s worst disaster was an explosion and fire from a ruptured petroleum pipeline. In addition to pipelines, trains transport toxic substances through the city with the potential for disaster. When it comes to natural disaster, earthquake and tsunami are the biggest threats. Having lived all of my life before the last 4 years more than a thousand miles from the coast, tsunami preparedness hadn’t entered my consciousness.

A series of mild earthquakes have recently prompted local media to once again engage in tsunami awareness education. People are advised to know tsunami evacuation routes, understand how warnings will be issued, and be prepared for rapid evacuation. We don’t live in the tsunami evacuation zone. In fact we live right next to the assembly area in case of an evacuation. If an evacuation occurs, people will come to our neighborhood. However, we can hear the sirens from our house when they are tested. If a tsunami hits our bay, we might need to be prepared to help provide services to displaced people.

I’m trying to take preparedness seriously. We’ve made inquiries about having a battery system installed in our home so that our solar panels will provide usable electricity in the event of a grid failure. We keep our pantry stocked in case we have to go for a while without being able to drive to the store.

And there is one more thing. Each new year’s day, when the tsunami sirens are tested at noon, I plan to be where I can hear the sirens and know what they sound like. After all we have a tradition in our town of celebrating the new year by going for a swim in the ocean at noon when the siren sounds. It is, however, only a test. Were it an actual emergency, we would be running away from the water and heading to higher ground.