Winter is coming. With it comes notoriously unpredictable weather. Snowstorms and blizzards can poise difficult challenges for zoos and aquariums and even your average hobbyists. Infectious disease and natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and typhoons are not just cause for concern for people. Natural disasters leave aquariums susceptible to power outages, staff shortages, and possibly lack of food, clean water and medicine too. Infectious diseases can devastate animal population. Its important to be prepared with a plan in case of emergency. For the past four years, folks at the US Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Care and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and  the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine has been having emergency preparedness trials at small and large facilities. The main point is there needs to be a plan. Its important to stay calm in the face of chaos. To stay calm you need to know what to do, how to do it, and who does what. Knowing what animals to move and in what order makes the most out of valuable time. There is nothing worse than spinning wheels when time is running out and the crisis is approaching.Hopefully this has inspired you to create your own disaster plan to save your fishy friends from the zombie apocalypse or other impending forms of doom. MORE