5 Ways To Prepare For Natural Disasters

Natural disasters can range from house fires and flooding to hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, and they are something no family wants to have to think about. However, when the earthquake you never expected to reach you finally hits, having already made a disaster plan will be of immense benefit. Statistically, individuals and families who are prepared are more likely to survive a natural disaster, and communities with a strong preparedness plan bounce back much more quickly. Let’s explore a few different ways you can make sure you are one of the survival stories that is featured on the Discovery Channel, instead of just another unprepared statistic.

5. 1. Be aware of the potential disasters in your community

The first step to take when preparing for a natural disaster is to be aware of what exactly can happen in your community. Residents of Hawaii will probably be okay if they don't have blizzard preparedness kits stuffed between beach towels, and at the same time residents of New York probably don't need to worry about volcanic eruptions. Almost everywhere is susceptible to some type of disaster like fire, earthquake or flood, and most places can have all three. On top of that, you can have life altering events like hurricanes and tornadoes, volcanoes, landslides, infrastructure collapse, terrorist attacks, tsunamis and even snow. You can find out what your area is likely to experience to by applying some critical thinking skills and saying “Oh, that river near us might flood,” or you can visit http://www.ready.gov/natural-disasters and see the kind of disasters that can apply to you. National Geographic also offers a handy series of graphics that show what and where things could go wrong, seen here.

4. Learn what to put in an emergency kit

Most people know that they ought to have an emergency kit, but that doesn't always mean you ( You use people in the 1st part of the sentence and then switch to you. This is called a pronoun reference error. Pick one pronoun and stick to it. ) know what should go into that emergency kit. Do you need 72 hours worth of food, or batteries for your radio, or sleeping bags, or all three? The answer lies largely in the previous question because it depends what disasters your community is likely to face. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommended general emergency kit can be found at its website, but the short list includes a few gallons of water, enough non-perishable food for two to three days, and a paper map of your area. On top of that general list, it is highly recommended that you prepare for your individual climate in your emergency preparedness kit. If you expect snow or rain, warm clothes and waterproof tarps would be almost required for a survival kit, while warm weather clothes and even more water would be helpful in drier communities. Take our quiz to see if you know what to put in an emergency kit.

3. Prepare for the unexpected

If you live in the Pacific Northwest the odds of you dealing with, for example, a hurricane, are marginal but still there. When preparing for the worst, it's a good idea to prepare for the absolute worst. Think a flood is unlikely? Make sure your emergency kit is in a waterproof case anyway. A house fire not even on your radar? Make sure to back up precious files and make copies of important documents just to be safe.

The best way to deal with the unexpected is to know what to expect. Watching the news and keeping up with the weather and any potential hazards coming your way can go along way towards keeping you and your family safe.

Unfortunately ‘prepare for the unexpected’ doesn’t always work when a bridge collapses, or when the North Koreans suddenly invade the West Coast. In these instances it is essential to….

2. Have a (flexible) plan

Families who come up with designated meeting points, emergency plans, or disaster response kits, have the luxury of having those plans to fall back on when everything goes to hell (or high water). You can’t plan for every scenario, but what you can do is have a general plan that is flexible enough to address the situation. Say your power goes out for a week, and there’s no sign of it coming back anytime soon. At that point, you need to start using your non-perishable food rations that you assumed you would use in a hurricane, or some similar natural disaster. The important takeaway is to make sure you have food and water put away, not that the plan and the problem match.

1. Be aware of government response

Lastly, it is important to know what help, if any, is going to be coming from outside. In survival situations it is incredibly important to assume that no one is coming to save you, which means that you must save yourself. People who hope for the flood waters to go down while watching for government helicopters, people who hope the heat will come back on its own, people who assume food will be delivered via government care package, all have less of a chance of survival. It is likely that eventually government help will get into affected areas, but the most sure-fire way to survive is to take care of yourself, and be prepared to do so until someone finally shows up.

Now that being said, governmental response is still important and can still be a huge help. Not just federally, but also at the state and local government levels as well. Frequently local bodies of government can react faster and more efficiently during small to medium scale natural and environmental disasters. It is important to know who to contact when your house is flooded, or when your power is out, or when a tree falls through your house. Just calling 911 usually isn’t enough in situations like this, though (link) in many cases the fire department, police and the disaster response agency are all in the same building.