It is a fact of life that at some point most people will experience a natural disaster in their lives. It could be a flood, a hurricane, or earthquake, or anything in between. The point is that it isn’t a question of if a disaster will strike, but when. It is important to understand the risk of a certain type of event and then prepare yourself for it.
For instance, if you live in the midwest then it is likely you will experience a tornado at some point and will need to focus on building an underground bunker for shelter and food storage. People in hurricane zones have to have a lot of different things to prepare for since there are high winds and floods likely. In this article, we will go over the ways to prepare for a natural disaster so you can protect yourself and your family.
Table of Contents
1 – Reliable transportation
Getting away from trouble should be the priority when it is safe to do so. In many areas, there will likely even be an evacuation order that has to be observed. This is a window of opportunity to get away from the threat as quickly as possible.
The key to taking advantage of the opportunity is to make sure that you have a reliable vehicle to get away. This should be something rugged that can get through and around obstacles easily such as a 4 x 4 or all-terrain SUV.
Make sure that the vehicle is fueled up completely at all times and that you have it serviced frequently so it is not going to break down on you on the way. A spare tire and tire repair kit are also essentials in case something happens along the way. It is also useful to have an emergency kit containing first aid essentials, a flashlight, phone, and a powered air purifying respirator papr, amongst other things, packed and ready to go.
2 – Clean water
The hardest thing to get access to when there is a disaster is clean drinking water. This is especially true when there is a flood as everything gets contaminated. It is very important to have some water reserves in your house in case you are not able to evacuate in time.
Bottled water is the best way to go since it can store for a while. Stock up regularly and make sure to cycle through the water so it doesn’t end up getting too old. You should also have a filtration system in case your water doesn’t last long enough and you can’t get any later on.
3 – Nonperishable foods
Stockpiling food is always a good idea since you never know how long you could be isolated in case of an emergency. The key is to make sure your stocks are from nonperishable food items that won’t spoil over time. It could be years before you face an emergency so you want to make sure the food lasts that long. Look into canned goods and freeze-dried foods that simply need to be hydrated with water. Dried goods like beans and grains are also good but beware of spoilage.
