At 6:15 A.M. on the morning of 9/11, I was awakened by a call from my father.

“The United States is under coordinated attack by terrorists,” he said. “Fill your bathtub with water.”

“Okay,” I said, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

I stumbled to the bathroom, not understanding–yet–why I was taking emergency measures.

Minutes later, I tuned to CNN and stayed glued to That station, watching the events unfold. I stayed home from work that day, and allowed my preteen daughter to stay home from school. I remember having the feeling that planes might drop from the sky at any moment ( we lived close to the approach path for LAX Airport).

It took me a long time to figure out why my father had instructed me to fill the bathtub with water. In an emergency, water supplies may not be available. So, it’s best to have a backup supply.

Now I know