Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Some disasters can come on suddenly or without warning which has a tendency to catch many people off guard. In order to thrive during a disaster, a person must prepare for it earnestly so that when it does happen, he or she has all they need to survive.
Be Prepared
The only way a person is going to thrive when a disaster hits is to start gathering necessary preparedness items beforehand. One of the worst mistakes to make when preparing for a disaster is to wait until the last moment. Since procrastination is common in this society, many will be rushing to the stores to get those precious emergency items as soon as a disaster is imminent. And guess what? When many arrive at the store they will be disappointed when they realize those needed items will be long gone from the store shelves. A essential need for anyone to be fully prepared is medical supplies. Accidents can occur during disasters, and without proper medical supplies, infections can occur.
Knowledge
Without knowledge on how to survive and sustain life, a person will not be able to adapt as easily to a disaster compared to someone who has the necessary skills. Having a well diversified set of disaster skills, and have an understanding of the disaster you are preparing for is the first step in becoming more self sufficient. Additionally, keeping any disaster information organized in order to fall back on if needed is essential. Keep a binder of emergency information near by, as well as emergency information on family members.
Water Filters
Having a ready supply of water is essential when coming head to head with a disaster. Three days without water and a person will come face to face with death. Many people have gallons of water stored away for disasters, but what happens when those water bottles are all gone? A person needs to have available alternative water sources such as rain collection containers, plastic water containers that can be frozen, and water filters to use if the worst case scenario happens. Water treatment such as micropur tablets and bleach are also essential when it comes to water consumption.
Food
Mulitple disaster websites such as the American Red Cross and FEMA suggest that every family should have a 3 day supply of food and water. Food is a basic survival need that must be addressed. Storing food away for short and long term survival will give the family security knowing they can live for a given amount of time. If a person is preparing for long term survival, he or she needs to think about how they will be able to get food to eat. In order to prepare for a long term survival situation, a person must accept the fact, that if a major disaster situation occurred, food will be scarce. Many people who are preparing for long term survival have invested in seeds. Seeds that are heirloom or non-genetically modified are the preferred type of seeds to be stored away.
Non-Electric Appliances and Tools
If a person is gathering items in the case their electricity is disrupted, look for appliances and tools that do not require electricity to work. For example, a camping stove would be an essential appliance to have if a person’s stove is not working. Appliances that have hand cranks are a great investment to add an extra layer of preparedness and security, such as a hand crank meat grinder or wheat grinder to grind food items.
People who want to invest in tools for their home should purchase tools and equipment that can operate in a non-technological environment. The reasoning behind this is because, if a disaster were to hit and the electricity was gone, a person would still be able to complete his or her tasks with these type of tools. These tools and equipment should be of the “traditional sense.” Tools such as gardening tools, mechanic tools, tools and equipment for canning and farming equipment.
Tess Pennington is a leading content contributor for Ready Nutrition, an online information source for those wanting to learn more about disaster preparedness, home safety, how to cope in a disaster situation, and for those wanting to learn how to be more self sustaining. Her career at the American Red Cross left her with years of experience in safety and disaster prepareness.
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This is him and I riding out the second tornado at 2 or 3 PM during the barrage of storms that hit north Alabama on April 27, 2011. He lives in a mobile home with no storm shelter, and the first tornado (hitting around 7 AM that morning) shook the house a lot and scared us pretty badly, so though it may not have been the wisest choice, we both felt safer riding number 2 out in his work truck. In the video, we are sitting in our neighbor’s yard next to one of his trailers. We chose this spot because it was relatively clear of trees and debris, and because there was a large ditch behind us if we needed to bail. The newscasters were describing this as a “rain-clouded” tornado, which is usually harder to see than the typical funnel-cloud. Notice how the chicken-houses in front of us become invisible as the storm moves through them. Also, though I didn’t manage to get it on camera, the trailer beside us get’s blown forward by about 3-4 feet as soon as the storm hits, knocking it off it’s foundation. Lastly, notice the tree behind the trailer, and how much it is bent by the wind.