Natural disasters have been taking lives since the beginning of time. Having in-depth survival plans is the best way to make sure the situation turns out as well as possible.
There are a lot of different factors that go into disaster planning so make sure to think through each step to make sure you have the best disaster plans in place for your family.
Continue reading this article to learn about disaster preparedness and how to protect your family when disaster strikes.
The 411 on Survival Plans
Without a survival plan, you’re just hoping things don’t go awry.
Get in the Know
While you hope something bad is going to happen, you need to know about the most common disasters that happen in your area. For instance, if you’re in California, a common disaster might be earthquakes. If you’re in Florida, a common disaster might be hurricanes.
Knowing what you need to prepare for will help you hone in on the things you need to know so you aren’t taken unawares by a disaster.
You should also know what you can expect from the area where you reside.
What plans are in place for your city? What resources are available to you?
If there are shelters in your area, you need to know so you can get to them if something happens.
Create a Communication Plan
Communication is key when it comes to making it out of a disaster safely. You have to keep in mind that cellphone towers may be overloaded during a disaster so you might not be able to get in touch with each other in this way.
Text messaging might be better than a phone call but even text messages might not make it through if the cell towers are too congested.
You should have an out of state contact that will run point with communication which will reduce your dependence on people in the area that is experiencing the disaster.
Create an Evacuation Plan
You should also have an evacuation plan that will let everyone know where to go and when to go. Make sure the plan lets everyone know where they are going to leave the house. You need to have an alternate route in case something is blocking the first way out of the home.
Your evacuation plan should also include a point to meet once everyone is out of the house. Make sure the meeting point is far enough away from the house so that no one gets hurt in case the house is damaged.
Practice Your Plan
It’s not enough to have an evacuation plan but you need to practice your plan. You might even make it a fun event so the kids will even be excited to get going with things.
Practicing the plan doesn’t take long so you can have a picnic after you’re done practicing. Keep everyone on track with the promise of delicious food after finishing the practice.
List Emergency and Important Contact Information
Have a list of emergency numbers and important contact information in your home. Put this important information in a waterproof packet so it doesn’t get wet in case of a flood.
Work on Special Preparation With Your Children
When you’re making your plan, be sure you help the youngest members of your family prepare. We don’t like to scare our children but we do want to make sure they are prepared in case of disaster.
Your children should know your real name (not just Mom or Dad) as well as their own full name, address and phone number. If your children are too young to know this information, you might want to have them carry identification cards with them.
Save Money By Buying Equipment at Sales Events
There are a lot of different pieces of equipment you can buy to make survival easiest in the middle of a disaster.
Going to a diesel generators sale or other sales to purchase much-needed equipment can cut down on costs.
There are some basic things you need to have when you are working on your survival plan. Any of these things can be bought on sale so keep your eyes open as you’re going through the list.
Here are some things you should get right away so don’t wait on promotions or discounts to get these important things.
- Food
- Medication
- First Aid Kit
- Tools & Supplies
- Cleaning Products
- Clothing
- Hygiene Products
- Important Documents
- Sentimental Items
If you have a large family, you’ll likely need more than one bag to carry your supplies in. You may be able to buy pre-made “go bags” to help you get a headstart on some of this packing but make sure to check the contents in case it wasn’t packed properly.
The important documents you need to bring should include your social security card, passport, insurance card, titles and deeds and any other legal paperwork you might need in the future.
While you might have some of your important information stored at the bank, you should prepare in case the bank is taken down by the storm as well. While this is a worst-case scenario, it is possible that it will happen.
Learn About Other Topics of Importance
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