5 Ways to Prepare for a Disaster

With hurricane season starting this weekend, we present this guest post by Daphne Homes. 

Disasters exact their toll in countless ways, catching unprepared families off-guard and causing significant damage and destruction.  Staying safe from disasters requires a multi-pronged approach, focusing on the types of events that occur close to where you live.  Water events, for example, require a different set of preparations and precautions than what one might undertake priming for a tornado or earthquake.

While each disaster preparedness strategy needs fine tuning for its specific application, there are nonetheless universal considerations shared by disaster preppers, such as water, communications, and sustenance. Whether fortifying their homes and businesses against earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, winter storms or tornados, those grooming for potential disaster share similar insights, including the following ways to prepare for the best disaster outcomes.

Establish a Plan

Responding to natural disasters is about covering all the bases and reacting quickly to mitigate danger.  Without a pre-formulated plan for evacuating or responding to an event, families are left fending for themselves without adequate guidance.  On the other hand, articulating clear disaster plans for your family takes the guess-work out of reacting, by outlining each family member's responsibilities during disaster events.

Effective plans start with the basics, and account for each detail of the family's response.  To execute plans efficiently in the event of an actual emergency, family members must be familiarized with the blueprint ahead of time.  Practicing, by actually walking through the steps of an evacuation plan or simulating a disaster are the best ways to ensure a smooth response under adverse conditions.

Learn Survival Skills

In the end, disaster preparations are made to increase your chances of surviving a catastrophic event.  As a result; the more survival skills you possess, the higher your chances of emerging from a disaster.  Everyone's interests and abilities are different, so some preppers may not go as far as other fortifying their survival skills.  Basic hunting, medical and wilderness techniques may prove useful during a major catastrophe, so these are good places to start expanding your knowledge.

Protect Communications

There is no telling how badly the infrastructure might be damaged during a natural disaster, so maintaining some form of communication is essential for responding to unanticipated events.  Mobile phones with charging capabilities, including a manual rotary charger, serve essential communications functions.  And disaster radios, like NOAA Weather Radios, should also be kept on-hand for monitoring communications from law enforcement, disaster relief organizations, and other agencies.

Assemble Food, Water and Medical Supplies

While it may not be feasible to account for every potential injury, maintaining medical essentials hedges against common disaster harm. And a stockpile of non-perishable food items increases the chance of survival when access to sustenance is otherwise limited.  Most importantly, a water reserve furnishes life's blood for those confined or displaced during disasters.

Stay Informed about Disaster Resources

In addition to the individual preparedness efforts launched by families, municipal agencies and other government entities contribute to comprehensive disaster planning.  To best prepare for tornados, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other unanticipated tragedies, stay in the loop about resources near you.  Nearby chapters of the American Red Cross or your local emergency management office are each prepared to assist your disaster planning. Community warning protocols and other important information should be incorporated into your family's disaster response plan, to shorten reaction times and account for particular local requirements.

Adequate disaster preparation accounts for food and water needs, but access to information and basic survival skills reinforce safety during adverse events.  The key to positive outcomes is establishing and executing a comprehensive disaster response plan, which should include an evacuation strategy.

Author:

Daphne Holmes contributed this guest post. She is a writer from arrestrecords.com and you can reach her at daphneholmes9@gmail.com.