We have no control over the future and there are very few ways to ascertain what will happen, so the best thing to do is to be ready for whatever comes our way. We often see stories about people rebuilding their homes and lives after a disaster, emphasizing just how important it is to plan ahead before one strikes. Disasters are, to put it succinctly, sudden events that interrupt daily life, causing destruction that exceeds the community’s resources for coping. Being handy is very useful after these events but to use your handiness, you’ll have to be one of the survivors. Here are some tips to ensure that you’ll be among the ones standing and thriving after a disaster.
Save the pets
Do not forget your pets. If you’ve got one or two animals at home, don’t neglect to include them in your plans. A lot of animals perish during disasters because their owners forgot to plan for them or forget about them in their panic.
Get out safe
Establish an escape route that you have thoroughly planned out. In fact, make sure you’ve already got a protocol in place in the event of any disaster. Don’t forget to come up with alternate routes should your other choices be rendered useless. Keep your family educated and make sure they all understand what they can and cannot do. Along this note, make sure you’ve listed the kinds of disasters that could befall your family. Some plans of action cannot be used for particular disasters and you should know what to do for each one.
Have a kit on hand
Have a survival kit ready and make sure it has the basics you’ll need to survive. Disasters tend to rob whole communities of power and other utilities so make sure you and your family have a fighting chance by stocking up on what they’ll need, such as food and water. Don’t neglect blankets, batteries, medicine, and a communication device. Stock your kit with enough supplies to keep you alive for at least 72 hours without aid.
Heed warnings
If you are lucky enough to have gotten warnings prior to any natural disaster, take the necessary precautions. Turn your power off, seal the windows if needed, move household items to higher ground if in danger of floods, and do what you must to keep you and your family safe.
Secure your documents
Often the ones that first fall prey to disasters of the wet kind, your documents are some of the most important things you’ll need to keep safe. Passports, social security cards and the like should be placed in a waterproof and fireproof place. Another thing that should be done to ensure their safety is to keep digital copies in a hard drive that you will keep safe.
There’s not much we can do when Mother Nature decides to unleash her wrath but there are ways to help minimize the damage and save lives. With a bit of planning and advanced preparation, you stand a better chance of getting back on your two feet after the worst has happened.
Ray Willis is a blogger that shares the latest information on emergency preparedness supplies. He blogs for epswarehouse.