Have You Considered Your Own Disaster Preparedness?
On this sad day in American History, I will usually write a post about 9/11.
This year I am not doing that.
You see, I hardly ever depart from what I said in my original post. The fact is that I find it a painful subject to write about and you can read the original post HERE.
Today, I felt most compelled to talk about disaster preparedness.
As we follow news of the latest happenings in our world, we are fully aware that every area of the world has the potential to be affected by some type of disaster.
We know this as Houston attempts to dry out, Hurricane Irma storm surges still threaten and we face tornado, wildfire and blizzard season.
In addition to the potential for natural disaster, we may also be faced with a man-made disaster.
Whether man-made or nature caused, a disaster can leave one with many issues.
- loss of electricity
- restricted fuel
- limited food
- lack of clean drinking water
- limited communication
- loss of home
- inability to access cash or credit cards
- restricted access to medicine and/or medical care
These situations and others are the exact reasons why it is crucial to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Your first step in your own disaster preparedness should be to find out what types of natural disasters you need to get ready for.
Unfortunately, no one can fully know what the potential is for man-made disasters but there are some points of consideration.
If you live near a dam, you may need a plan of action for flooding. Perhaps you have to consider disasters related to hazardous materials, spills or even a kid throwing a firecracker in a canyon.
What disasters we prepare for may be different but many of the basics of how to prepare are the same.
Your families Emergency Preparedness Plan is key.
Where Will You Go?
The first question you need to ask yourself is where you will go if an emergency arises. Will you stay at home and shelter in place? Will you head out of town and evacuate? If you are heading out, where will you go and where will you stay?
These are important questions and you don’t want to make those decisions when you are in the middle of a disaster.
A big part of your emergency preparedness plan should be to think through possible scenarios and then get the information you need ahead of time. For example, figure out what routes you can take to get out of the area, determine where you want to go, and then get the contact information for a hotel or the people you’ll be staying with.
How Will You Stay In Touch?
There is nothing scarier than not being able to get in touch with loved ones during a disaster or emergency event.
Just as important is being able to get news and emergency alerts or announcements.
Think about how you will stay in touch with loved ones and get important updates whether you are at home, a shelter or on the road.
- Making sure everyone has a mobile phone is a great start. Don’t forget that these devices need to be charged. Having chargers, including car chargers, is a must. An additional battery or a backup power supply will come in very handy as well.
- Be conservative when using electronic devices. You need the battery power to last as long as possible.
- A traditional battery-operated radio will be a handy addition to your disaster preparedness kit. This may very well be your only connection to follow the news, weather and get other important information.
- Designate a meeting point or a person that everyone contacts when you can’t get a hold of each other. You should have designated people both in your state and outside of your state.
What Supplies Do You Need?
The more prepared you are, the safer and more comfortable you’ll be. Depending on what disaster you face, where you live, your family members, and simple things like the weather will determine the supplies you need.
Food and Water.
[ctt template=”5″ link=”z91kO” via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]Survival food storage will be very important if disaster strikes.[/ctt]
Having food and water is your top priority in any disaster situation.
Emergency food storage doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, it can be mainly comprised of items your family is already eating. Having at least a week’s worth of food and water stored up can be a great idea during a natural disaster.
- Start with your water supply. Buy water bottles and fill as many jugs as possible with clean drinking water. Store at least a gallon of drinking water per person per day.
- Buy water purification tablets to make water drinkable.
- Purchase non-perishable food such as crackers, peanut butter, canned beans, tuna, soups, jerky, protein bars and such items. You may also like to buy MRE’s (Meals Ready To Eat).
- Don’t forget about utensils including a manual can opener for your kit.
- If you have a camping stove or a grill outside, you may also be able to heat and cook some foods. Purchase the fuels you need and simple nonperishable foods to prepare.
- If you have a baby, even a breastfed baby, pack formula in your disaster kit. I suggest powder and canned. If you have to be on the move you will not be able to carry the cans.
Medical Supplies And First Aid
- Stock up on prescription medication as much as possible. If your area is under current threat your pharmacy may be able to dispense a few extra days of medication than is the norm.
- Do not forget basic first aid items such as pain reliever, bandages, and antiseptic.
- Add an emergency blanket, multi-purpose tool, whistle and any other medical supplies that may be needed such as glasses and hearing aid batteries.
Personal Care Items
- Soap
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Baby wipes and Diapers
- Toilet Paper
- Feminine Products
Electronics
- Flashlight
- NOAA Weather Radio (battery-powered, solar, or hand-crank)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Extra batteries
Other Important Items
- Cash
- Spare house and car keys
- Area maps
- Copies of insurance cards, immunization records, birth certificates, drivers licenses, and passports.
- Copy of the family emergency plan complete with contact information.
- Any pertinent medical information including blood type of each family member.
- A recent photo of each family member should the family be separated.
- Plastic bags, tarps, and duct tape
Don’t forget about your pets.
- Food and Water
- Bathroom Supplies
- Medicines and medical records
- Pet Frist Aid Supplies
- Transport supplies
- Comfort Items
- Photo of pet
- Owner Contact Information
From there, start thinking about creature comforts like light, entertainment, and such things. Having a headlamp and a good book can make waiting out a power outage a lot more pleasant.
Be prepared and you’ll greatly increase your chances of making it through the emergency or disaster just fine.
I tried to be very thorough with this post but, inevitably may have forgotten something.
If you would like some tips on Talking With Your Child About Difficult Subjects please check out my post at South Bay Mommies and Daddies.
Please offer your comments below and let us know what you keep in your emergency preparedness kit.
Be safe.
38 thoughts on “Have You Considered Your Own Disaster Preparedness?”
Dr. Elise,
Excellent post on disaster preparedness! I am so glad that you also touched on preparing our pets for a disaster as well. So often we forget about our four legged friends and they are just as much a part of our family as well! Great article.
Yes! They absolutely are and they need supplies and protection too.
Hi Dr. Elise,
Very timely and well-covered, subject. Everyone should have a plan for emergencies and disasters. Thanks for the list of essentials.
Edward
You are very welcome. It was definitely in my heart to share this information.
Hello Elise! What a great post about just being prepared! It is such a great idea with so much going on in this world!
Thank you so much for sharing..
Chery :))
Thank you very much, I am hopeful that many will benefit.
What great tips for being prepared. There are so many things we just don’t think about or take for granted,
Thank you very much. I do hope that it will help many people.
Hi Elise
Great post! i think everyone should know how to be prepared for disastrous situations. Thanks for putting up this list!
You are so very welcome.
Great, timely, post. I am guessing most people don’t think about this stuff. I know I don’t. A map? Where does one even find those nowadays? haha
The map, indeed, is difficult to find. I mostly find them on Amazon. True too that most do not think about this stuff. I thought about it on a much deeper level when writing this post.
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Awesome, I will certainly check it out.
It is so important to be prepared in the event of a disaster. Not with aluminum foil hats like the movie signs, but in practical ways. We have a binder with our emergency plan and contacts.
A binder is a perfectly brilliant idea. Be sure to keep it up to date and hope that you never need it.
As a resident of central Florida I agree with your post whole heartedly. It was well compiled and an excellent source of disaster readiness information. Thank you for sharing these tips and guidelines.
Thank you. I am very pleased to hear that feedback from someone who has lived it.
These are such great things to think through! Thank you! <3
You are quite welcome.
This is an amazing post! All of these hurricanes are crazy and I feel like more people should know how to be prepared because there’s just so much to think about, not just for hurricanes either. Thank you for sharing this! <3
Yes, I agree that more people need to know how to be prepared. I felt like it is more prevalent on peoples minds now so I thought it a good time to bring up. For us, in Southern California, Hurricane is not much of a threat. However, we do need to consider wildfires and earthquakes. It makes no difference though, the basic prep is the same.
There are some important tips here for sure. You can never be too prepared!
I agree completely.
My husband and I have talked about this topic often but have yet to act on our discussions. We live in tornado country and need to be prepared in case of weather emergencies.
Oh yes, I highly recommend that you get prepared.
I eat info like this up. Thanks for the comprehensive list!
You are so very welcome.
This really hit home for me, I was in a town close to New Orleans when Katrina hit 12 years ago, and it is so so SO important to be prepared!!! I love the idea to keep a photo of your pet! Eceryone tries to stay together, but during an emergency like this you never know what can happen. It might be a good idea to make sure your pet is microchipped as well!
Yes, great idea to point out. A microchip in your pet can be of great service.
Communication preparedness is so important! I’m still waiting to hear back from some friends impacted by Irma. Lots of great info in this post.
I hope that your loved ones are okay. It is a worrisome time.
As a scout leader, I feel it is crucial to be prepared. This post came in very good timing. Thank you!
I would be honored if you shared with your troop.
Excellent suggestions. I’ve been through countless earthquakes, 3 hurricanes, major flooding, etc., so being prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws our way has become standard practice in my house. But I moved to Oregon some months ago and now there’s a new challenge, the wildfires. Thankfully we’re not in danger of having to be evacuated, but the smoke is an issue. The CDC has published numerous warnings about the “very unhealthy” air quality because of the particulates in the smoke that can get in your lungs and blood stream. Some people are wearing those little white masks but we checked and the CDC says they are basically worthless with this kind of a problem and recommend staying inside as much as possible w/air conditioning when the warnings are posted. There’s no question this has been a challenging year for so many people! I’m happy to share your tips.
I have been subject to the wildfire emergencies, At one point there was one burning for weeks within just two miles of my home. It was very scary. Thank you for sharing.
This is a great list. Thanks for putting it together, I will make sure to share it.
Thank you, I am so pleased that you find it useful.