Which Disasters Should You Be Prepared For?

It doesn’t matter where you live. There is a chance that sooner or later you will face some kind of disaster, leaving you without electricity, water or access to further purchases. It could be a natural disaster like a hurricane, a blizzard, a flood, a tornado or an earthquake. Or it could be a man-made disaster where the electricity grid fails or you have to stay in your house for days or even weeks. The world can be a harsh place, but we can do something. We can prepare for the disasters that are most likely to occur in our region.

Your first step in your own disaster preparedness should be to find out what types of emergency you need to prepare for. Take a few minutes to review the types of disasters to which your area is vulnerable. This is especially important for natural disasters. If you live in Florida or on the southeast coast of the United States, you should prepare for the hurricane season. If you live in the northeast or south of the Great Lakes, you should be prepared for large blizzards. If you live in the Midwest or Southwest of the United States, chances are that you will encounter one or two tornadoes. In California, you should prepare for earthquakes.

Next, think about possible man-made disasters. If you live near a dam, you may need a flood action plan. If you live near a nuclear power plant, you should think about a way to get out of the plant quickly in case something happens there. You have understood the idea. What disasters we prepare for will be different for many of us, and what kind of emergency plan you have depends on these variables.

If you have a list of disasters that you need to prepare for, you should consider if and when you are trying to prepare to stay home and get through it, and when it might be time to evacuate. Of course, these decisions may be beyond your control, such as in the case of a mandatory evacuation, but there will be plenty of time when the decision is up to you.

Think about what is best for you and your family. If you are able to stay put, you can take care of problems when they arise and prevent further damage. If a storm blows out of a window, you can nail it up and prevent water from entering, for example.

At other times, it may be safer and more convenient to avoid the disaster. In these cases, as well as during a mandatory evacuation, think about where you would go. Do you have family or friends you can stay with? If not, choose an area you may want to travel to and get the numbers of some hotels. If a storm is coming and evacuations are ordered, things move quickly. You don’t want to waste time making these decisions and then lose a hotel room for you and your loved ones. Shelters should always be the last resort. Believe me, it’s not the most comfortable place to survive a disaster.

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