Natural disasters always feel a world away until they happen to you. That’s why being prepared before an emergency strikes is so important.
It can be hard to know what to do if a natural disaster does occur, so making some basic emergency preparations can help ensure your family is safe and you’re ready to handle the situation.
If you want to get your household ready for an emergency, start by making these four essential preparations:
Plan a Power Source
Often, one of the first things people lose in a natural disaster is power. Sometimes the power might be off for a couple of hours, other times the outage could last days.
That’s why having a backup power source can be so useful. And thanks to new, clean energy options, you can even find eco-friendly options for emergency power!
Consider looking into solar panel battery systems that you can have charged and ready for emergency power in times of need. The bluetti ep500 pro price can give you an idea of the cost of a system like this.
Alternatively, a gas generator can provide emergency power to essential appliances like a refrigerator, freezer, or space heater as well.
Develop an Evacuation Plan
Sometimes an emergency situation will be severe enough that you need to leave the area to keep your family safe.
To make sure you’re ready for that situation, create an evacuation plan and decide where you’ll stay in case of an emergency.
Having this plan made in advance can take away a lot of the stress of having to leave your home, especially since you won’t have to scramble to find a place to stay when you leave.
Stock Up on Supplies
Some natural disasters may result in blocked roads, businesses losing power, and a lack of access to grocery stores and other essential shops. That means potentially being cut off from medication and food.
To ensure your household has enough to eat during an emergency, create a specific emergency kit containing enough canned or preserved food for each person for at least 72 hours.
And don’t forget clean drinking water! It’s recommended to have one gallon of water per person, per day. A large water jug kept in a cool, dark area of the home can be an easy way to store emergency water.
Consider Basic Hygiene
An often overlooked but important consideration during a natural disaster is hygiene.
Water may potentially not be available in large amounts, so having a way to stay clean with minimal water can be important.
Hand sanitizers can be a useful alternative to hand washing if water is in limited supply. And baby wipes are a great way to freshen up the body!
To help keep teeth as clean as possible, consider also adding a sealed bottle of mouthwash to your supplies to help rinse away germs.
Preparing For a Natural Disaster
There are many little ways that you can prepare for a natural disaster to help minimize the stress on your family.
Start by ensuring you have backup supplies of food, water, and medication, an alternative source of power, and a safe place to go if you have to leave your home.
The more detailed your preparations are, the easier it will be to get through an emergency situation and get back to normal again.