Preparing for a natural disaster

You want to protect your family in all situations. Do you ever think about natural disasters? You should.

No matter what part of the country you live in, natural disasters are a possibility. From floods to earthquakes, and hurricanes to tornadoes. Not to mention the blackouts that happen in thunderstorms and high winds.

Remember, these disasters happen anytime of the year.

Fires can happen anywhere, anytime.

There are some things you can do to be prepared. One, is to have a family plan. If you are a veteran or a member of the military, you know how important it is to be prepared. You need to be prepared on the home front as well.

Your family disaster plan can be something simple that you and your family members go over and know. You need a meeting place. Phone numbers of relatives to call. Simple things that can make getting in contact easy. Know what parts of the house are safe in what types of disasters. Have exit routes from every room.

Keep in mind that these are upbeat plans. Don't be alarming to your family. Keep it matter of fact and low key. You want your family prepared, not worried.

Have relatives for kids to be picked up by in case they cannot get home from school. You will probably have to sign something for the school as permission.

As far as items to have on hand at home, think surviving without running water, gas, and electricity for a few days. Hey, it happens.

Because of this, canned food is a must. And manual can openers. This does not even have to be anything extra. Just keep canned goods on hand with a variety of foods. To rotate them, eat from the supply from time to time. Speaking of cooking, you may need to use the barbecue outside. Just keep it outside and use it safely.

Having cash money on hand is a good idea as well. If the electricity is off, ATMs and electronic ways of buying will be down. Put $50 hidden in a jar just in case.

Candles are okay, but flash lights are better. Camping lights are good too. Just keep the batteries fresh.

Have a ready supply of extra blankets. Make them easy to get.

A first aid kit is a must.

Always have at least two weeks of maintenance medications on hand as well.

Keep a radio handy, especially one that can be charged by cranking.

Be sure kids know not to play outside unless it is safe.

Have a pair of gloves on hand to remove debris.

You can see that this list is not long, as contains items most people would have on hand at some time. Make it a point to have them all on hand at the same time.

Above all, go over safety rules about living in a house in a disaster area.

Last but not least, water. You will need to calculate how much water your family may need for a week. Buy gallon jugs, rotate them once a year or so.

Check your homeowners insurance policy to see what is covered. Do a complete insurance check.

Nobody can fully be prepared for a sudden disaster. But even a little planning will help things.

Many families choose to have backup generators as electrical power. These can be a life saver. Keep in mind that they are not designed to run the whole house, but can do a refrigerator and lights just fine. Since you can use a generator on camping trips and outings, having a generator is not that peculiar.

>>Choosing a backup power generator.

>>Emergency survival kit tips.


>>More tips on preparing for a disaster.

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