Natural disasters occur all over the world, and no matter where you live, chances are that you will encounter several of them throughout your lifetime. Depending on where you live, they may occur infrequently or they may threaten your home much more often. Regardless of frequency, it is important to be prepared for them.
What Types of Disasters
First, you need to know what type of emergencies and disasters occur in your area. We can all be affected by fire and those in northern
climates have winter storms that shut down roads and power. Your are may be prone to flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoon, earth quakes and the likes.
Do your homework, watch the news, talk to your neighbors and figure out what natural disasters you should prepare for. A great source for information is your local government, particularly emergency services. Many will not only be able to make you aware of any dangers, but also have brochures, plans, and other resources that will help you prepare for any eventuality.
How Will You Respond
Once you know what disasters you can expect where you live, it’s time to learn how to best respond to them. Will you wait things out in your home, or will you be required to evacuate? Are there emergency shelters or evacuation routes you should be aware of?
Figure out a plan for securing your home, yard and vehicles depending on the disaster. What can you do to make sure your property has the best possible chance to come out of the disaster undamaged? If you’re in an area prone to flooding, having sand bags on hand can be invaluable. Again, what you need will greatly depend on where you live and what natural disaster you can expect.
Emergency Kit
Having a
good emergency kit that includes food, water, medication, first aid kit, flash light, radio and a few tools is a good idea. Every household should have a kit that’s kept in good order and is easy to reach in an emergency.
If you keep this kit in good order all the time, you will not be one of those people fighting over food and water at the last minute and you will have time to make good decisions.
Make sure you are aware of the potential threats as early as possible so you can prepare. Set up alerts on your phone, sign up for local emergency preparedness emails, and keep an eye on the news and social media if you think there is a potential for a disaster. The earlier you know the better you can react. Listen to local authorities and don’t hesitate to evacuate should the need arise. Things can be replaced, people can’t.