Create a flexible disaster plan to curtail negative impact of pandemic

Southeasterners dread their hurricanes, Californians remain a bit wary when anything shakes or rattles, and now many of us are keeping an eye on the possibility of an avian flu pandemic. Although we hear about its possibility in the news almost daily, most Americans don't seem to be taking any special precautions or preparing an emergency plan to cope with the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus.