Natural Disaster Preparedness Tips You Need
Here’s more on natural disaster preparedness tips that you need to know. It’s no surprise that natural disasters seem to be occurring more frequently every year, but what is surprising is that most Americans remain unprepared when they do happen. Most of my posts over the years have dealt with emergencies and how to prepare and deal with them as best you can. As you read this post, if there are specific areas you’d like to know more about, check out my archive for more details on hundreds of subjects.
Even the pandemic took many of us by surprise, as grocery store shelves were quickly emptied of essential items like toilet paper.
Currently, Texas and North Carolina are experiencing flooding. It’s my understanding that an article stated it’s a dozen 1000-year storms in 3 days. Please read AccuWeather for more information. Harry mentioned to me they are still on a boil-only water situation at their Texas home. Harry, please update if you read this. Thank you, my sweet friend.
Being prepared for these dangerous situations by having the right supplies, as well as knowing how to deal with them, may very well save your family’s lives one day. In case you missed this post, Power Grid Failure: What You Will Need
Prepare an Emergency Supply
I want you to pause and ask yourself: if a natural disaster were to hit your area sometime soon, would you have enough food, extra water, and other essential supplies to hunker down and survive the aftermath? I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer were no, because that’s typically the case for most people. But that doesn’t have to continue being the case. These are several emergency supplies and items that you’ll need to start rounding up:
Bugging In by Raymond Dean White
“Prepare Your Family For Survival” by Linda Loosli
- At least a 3-day supply of food for everyone in your family (non-perishable food items).
- A minimum of a 3-day supply of drinking water for everyone in your family. (On average, you’ll need 4 gallons of water a day, per person, covering all your drinking and personal sanitation needs.) The American Red Cross suggests one gallon per day, but I feel the four-gallon figure is more realistic
- Face masks
- First aid kit – take classes so you know how to deal with minor injuries, but also learn things like CPR and burn care. Having extra eyeglasses or contacts is important.
- Medicine – both over-the-counter and prescription medication
- Extra cash – ATM and bank lobbies may be closed or inoperable
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Lighter and matches
- A multi-tool that comes with a knife – other tools too, like screwdrivers, pliers, etc.
- Spare clothing for each member of your family – we all need to set aside a complete change of clothing, including dry, sturdy shoes
- Sleeping bags and possibly an air mattress for comfort
- Camping Tent for shelter – plastic sheeting with duct tape can allow you to construct a temporary shelter, too
- Emergency blankets
- Hand Crank weather radio – I’ve suggested getting a NOAA weather radio for emergency alerts. A battery-powered radio will do the trick, but you’ll need extra batteries, just in case
- Two-way radios
- A whistle and emergency flares
- Duct tape
- Garbage bags of various sizes, baby wipes and/or moist towelettes, and hand sanitizer
- All your Important documents and valuables should be kept in a waterproof container. Make sure you have copies or originals of your identification, passports, birth certificates, etc.
- Entertainment for you and the kids.
- Diapers if you have infants in your family
- Have food and other supplies for your pets and service animals
- Fire extinguisher(s)
Multiple Different Ways to Get Fresh Water
It could take up to a week or two, or possibly even longer, before your area’s drinking water is restored to proper working order. What will you do if your backup drinking water runs out? Before it ever comes to this, there are several ways to purify water.
Boiling water is the best way to ensure that all bacteria, fungi, and parasites have been destroyed. However, if you’re unable to heat your water, you can use fragrance-free bleach to clean it, provided your household bleach contains 5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite. For every gallon of water you plan to use, you’ll need 1/2 teaspoon of bleach, or approximately 40 drops using an eyedropper.
Make sure you don’t use bleach with a scent, as it contains chemicals that aren’t good for you.
You also have the option of using a water filter to purify your drinking water. The LifeStraw is one portable water filter option that allows you to drink directly from almost any water source. There’s also the Sawyer Mini, which can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. I have water purification systems posts where I discuss Big Berkey and PortaWell products. They both work great, but each has its strengths.
Have an Escape Plan
Several disasters may require you to escape from your home, whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, flood, or even a terrorist threat. You should already have a family disaster plan that includes an evacuation plan, especially if you live in a city or a highly populated area. That’s because everyone will be fighting over limited resources, and a lot of looting is likely to occur. This is why escaping to less populated areas is probably a safer option for you and your family, if that’s possible. At my age, sheltering in place is a more realistic plan, unless that becomes life-threatening.
What happens if your primary evacuation route out of town is blocked by thousands of others who are fleeing? You’ll need to know the backroads and several alternative routes to get out quickly.
Once you’ve got your family to safety, where will you be staying? And lastly, what if the disaster takes place when you and your family members are all separated? You need to have a meeting location already in place because you never know if all cell phone service will be down.
Extend the Battery on Your Phone
If your cell phone is still working after a disaster, you’ll want to keep it operational for as long as possible. That way, you can get in touch with relatives to let them know that you’re doing okay and what your plans are in the meantime. Extend the life of your cell phone battery by doing the following:
- Turn off every family member’s phone except one.
- Put your cell phone on airplane mode.
- Close all the apps that you aren’t using.
- Turn off voice command (Siri).
- Disable the vibrate setting for notifications, which uses extra power.
- Purchase a solar-powered portable charger.
Choosing an Appropriate Meeting Place
As I mentioned already, your family may be in separate locations when the disaster strikes. Likely, your home may not be a safe place to meet after a disaster. This is why you should have several different meeting places picked out for use when your family tries to meet up. These are a few options for you to consider:
- Within Your Neighborhood: The threat may only pose a danger to you when you return home. You could meet at your mailbox or a neighbor’s house.
- Just Beyond Your Neighborhood: You also need to come up with a location that’s within walking distance of your home, if the threat only affects your neighborhood. Consider safe places such as a police station, your local library, or a nearby park.
- Within Your Region: The disaster’s threat may render your entire town or city unsafe. Choose a location, whether it’s a friend’s or relative’s house, that’s within an hour or two’s drive from your home.
- Consider Family Member Circumstances: If you have children or someone with special medical needs, your choices may be limited, but certainly need to be evaluated before the disaster hits.
Staying Warm During a Power Outage
Should heavy snowfall or an ice storm cause your area’s power to go out, you need to know how to stay warm. For those of you who have a fireplace or a wood stove, your family will have a much easier time staying warm. Always ensure you have plenty of dry firewood or coal (if applicable) to keep it going. Consider these other options for keeping your family warm when the electricity goes out:
- Wear extra layers of clothing.
- Insulate your windows and doors by placing blankets around them.
- High-quality sleeping bags will trap your body heat more effectively than a blanket.
- Drink warm fluids (hot cocoa, coffee, tea).
- Wear hand warmers and a wool or fleece hat.
- Have your family sleep in a camping tent in your living room, which will help trap your body heat.
Natural Disaster Preparedness Tips You Need
Related: How to Be Ready for the Next Disaster
Final Word
You never know what type of natural disaster you may be facing, and there’s no way to be entirely prepared when one happens. But with these preparedness tips, your family will be in a much better situation when one does occur. What natural disaster preparedness tips would you add to this list? May God bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Home Damaged Deposit photos_166834396_s-2019
QUALITY Work Gloves
After every natural disaster there’s a lot of work to follow
Do not buy the cheap junk.
Hi Matt, thanks for the tip/pictures on the gloves you sent me. I’m going to work on sharing those pictures in the post. You are so awesome! Linda
Thank you Linda for always making my day when I check my inbox and see a post from you!
I love all of your tips and they really help me to stay on top of my preparedness.
Another “set of eyes” really helps to point out things that need to be shored up.
Thank you for being so dedicated to helping all of us to find our way.
Hi Jan, oh my gosh, you made my day! I really mean that! Our world is a bit unsettled now and if we can see something positive it will help all of us get through. Stay safe, stay well, Linda
We have a propane fireplace and cook stove. I didn’t know that he vibrate feature used more power. I’ll be Turing that off now. Thank you so much for the information. Some I already knew. Some, not. Oh, we have a dual powered generator that we can use if needed. Gas and propane.
Hi Deborah, life is so good when we have a fireplace and a cookstove! I miss my wood-burning stoves, I used it all the time. Linda
We have a wood heater. But, it’s not set up. I would love to have it set up to use though. Maybe one day.
At least two weeks of food and supplies. More is better. After Hurricane Sally, some inland counties did not have power for three weeks. Followed by Zeta! Natives know this but the influx of new comers can not believe it and actually complain about no electricity and internet two days after the storms! Sadly, many people believe they don’t have to prepare.
Hi Susan, you know I’m glad you mentioned this, many people believe they don’t have to prepare. I have lived through only one tornado when I was 16 years old. I had no clue about that kind of preparedness. So natives know where you live, but the newbies moving there do not get it yet. Yet, keyword. Some of us have never been without power for three weeks. I have not. I would love to hear what you did, I believe so many could learn from you. Stay safe, Linda
We’ve been without power for two weeks one time. First thing we did was wrap the freezers in a quilt. Didn’t really help since it lasted as long as it did. Had I know then, what I know now, I’d have canned as much of the meat as I could before it went bad.
Don’t open the freezer or refrigerator if possible. At first! Now, we have a generator to help with the freezers and such. They also make inverters for your car that you can hook up to the battery, keep the car running, and you can have some power. Not enough for the whole house though.
Next thing I would suggest is have a way to cook without electricity. We have a gas stove. A gas grill, and a camping stove.
Hi Deborah, wow, two weeks is a very long time. I will have to have a BBQ with my neighbors if we lose electricity that long. It’s all good, we can only do what we can. Stay safe, Linda
We lost everything in the freezer. Didn’t have a generator then. We actually have two. LOL
Hi Deborah, that is so sad. That was a rough storm you went through! Linda
We survived. Yes, we lost food, but we made it through and have restocked.
One point I have come to realize during this pandemic is to not let the “powers that be” cause unnecessary fear. Under the guise of keeping us informed, our political forces have, and continue to do their best to instill fear. Maybe, because we live in a “blue state”, with Governor Cuomo, who sees himself as emperor, EVERYTHING has become a disaster, EVERYTHING become critical. Not once has he stopped treating the public like preschoolers that need to get in line quietly. We have learned to listen to the tenor of the words. Not everything is fatal.
There is a windstorm predicted for Sunday, with wind gusts over 50 miles an hour. Smart people will make sure the patio furniture is put away, and do any last minute errands today rather than tomorrow. But it is NOT the end of life as we know it!! Panicking helps no one.
Chris ~ I understand about the fear being raised by our state “governments”!! King Inslee (Washington State – also blue) is considering offers of working in the new government next year. I can only hope!
He is already starting to talk about increased lockdowns. He also talks to us like we are children! I think that is one of the biggest problems because so many see it as a challenge to NOT do what he says!
Well, anyway, you stay safe and healthy. We just survived our windstorm/rainstorm – got almost 3 inches of rain in a 24 hour period with wind gusts up to 50 mph. No damage that I can see but…
Leanne, wow, that’s a lot of rain, wow, wow, wow! Stay safe, Linda
My thanks to you, to Linda, and everyone whose input has allowed me and my husband and our grown children to grow and prepare for whatever the future will bring. The pantry is full, we have done everything we can at this point. Everyone, stay safe, stay healthy.
Hi Chris, thank you for your kind words, you are so nice. It’s a blessing that we have this group of readers who are king to one another and willing to share their expertise. It really is a blessing. We will get through this year before we know it. Stay well, Linda
HI Chris, wow, what a great comment. Thank you for reminding all of us to not panic, which does in fact cause unnecessary fear. This is why I write, write, and write more. I’m hoping my articles will help a family or two. I finally had to give myself a break from the news. Oh, and Facebook, there were people (friends and family) posting things I could not understand their anger. Yep, I had to unfollow them. Life is too short to have a toxic family member, friends, or the news blasting hateful, hurtful remarks. I’ve been watching all the Christmas show reruns on cable TV. You are so right, panicking helps no one. Grab a blanket, a cup of your favorite warm drink, and watch some old “happy and uplifting” movies. We are prepared so we have no fear. Linda
Spot on Chris on comments on Cuomo. If I see his mouth moving my sound is turned down!
Linda ~
Don’t forget about things like hot water bottles for keeping warm!! I now have 2. What I like about them (I use them when I go camping if it will be cold) is that I can reuse the water several times. I just fill with hot, not boiling, water, screw on the cap and there ya go – a way to warm your bed or wrap your feet with a thick blanket and hot water bottle. Stays warm/hot for quite a while.
A few weeks ago I was able to get more propane for my heater (I’ll have to keep it close to an open window though) and more butane for my one burner stove. I have been stocking up on plenty of non-perishables for the last 8 months since COVID locked us down.
Also – I am enjoying my homemade pumpkin muffins as I have been able to get a number of boxes of spice cake mix (finally!) and canned pumpkin (finally!). I am in fall heaven!!
Hi Leanne, oh those pumpkin muffins are the best! I love hearing you found some spice cake mixes. What kind of propane heater did you buy? I bought a hot water bottle after you reminded me about those!! Thank you again. I just ordered my Thanksgiving dinner to be delivered frozen for Mark and me. We are, or I should say I am worried about getting together with people right now. The holidays will be different for sure. Stay safe, and stay well. We will all get through this. Hugs, Linda
I have a Coleman propane heater – I have been using it for several years while camping. Keeps me toasty warm! It uses the small containers but I found a hose to connect a larger propane tank to it. I had a Mr Buddy but for camping it was too large for my tent and my hauling! So, I sold it and got this more compact Coleman.
I am also worried about getting together with family for Thanksgiving. Haven’t made up my mind yet though. Depends on how many and who will be at my daughter’s. I have a game hen in the freezer and all the things for side dishes so I may stay home!
If this is the only year we have to “skip” holidays with family, I will survive it!! Won’t be the same but we have to do our part! You stay safe and healthy as well.
Hi Leanne, I’m with you about “skipping” a year, it is what it is. I’m going to look for a Coleman propane heater and get the larger connection. It’s crazy in Utah the numbers continue to go up. Then our city had a protest against wearing masks, whatever people??? I wear my mask whenever I go out. It’s rare for me to go out, but good grief, we can get through this if everyone will do the right thing. Stay well, and safe, Linda
Linda, I’m sure you know this but you don’t need to boil water to kill the harmful germs in it. Getting the temperature to 149F and holding it there for six minutes will pasteurize your water–killing any pathogens. It’s what dairies do to milk to make it safe to ship to the store and sit in the refrigerated section until we buy it. Pasteurizing your water will save needed fuel.
Since sterilized goods last longer than pasteurized goods, companies that make shelf stable milk (milk that doesn’t require refrigeration) use ultra high temperatures 280 to 302F for one or two seconds in their pasteurization process (they call it that even though it’s more akin to sterilization.
Hi Ray, thanks for the reminder, on the water. It’s wonderful to have readers like you to help teach the world! Stay well, Linda
I remember in 1998, when I was just 16 years old, we had an ice storm. I lived with my parents on the coast of Maine. We lost power for 2 weeks. We took everything out of our freezers( we had 2) and stuck it out in the ice storm. We would chip it out when we needed it. We used plastic and blankets to close off most of the trailer we lived in. We used our tiny fire place and blankets to stay warm. We also used the fire place to cook on. Once we ran out of fire wood, we broke apart old dressers and furniture that were falling apart and used that as heat. Because I lived through that storm, it taught me to always be prepared. Especially in the winter! But now I do it year round. Thank you for all you do Linda! And thanks to everyone else for all the wonderful ideas and stories. Many blessing to all during this holiday season!!!
Hi Audrey, wow wow wow! Thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s interesting you mentioned burning old dressers and furniture that were falling apart. I remember my mom telling me when I was very young, we would need to burn our furniture if it came to that if we needed to be warm. You lived it, girl! By sharing your words, it gives others ideas that they too can survive whatever it takes. Good job, stay safe, stay well, Linda
Make do.
Do without.
Mend it.
Or wear it out.
I’ve lived this all my 69 years. Some more so than other. It seems we are living in a disposable society. People don’t fix things, they just throw it out and buy new. I don’t like it though.
Hi Deborah, my dad used to “fix” everything. My husband and I built houses but fixing small items or plumbing not so much. My dad could repair anything. One of my sons-in-law can fix anything, we are always in awe of what that guy can fix. We all have different talents. Thank goodness, Linda
Linda, my husband can fix almost anything. We built a 24 X 24 shop when we first moved here. He can do plumbing and electrical. He can’t work on the new cars, but can the older, non-electronic ones. But our son can. We’ve put up fencing. He can do almost anything. Well, he could. He can’t do a lot now. He’s had back surgery and the rods in his back move. He is hard-headed and won’t go see a doctor about it. It’s been 13 years since his surgery. Men! They are just too stubborn!
Hi Deborah, oh that’s not good on the rods moving. YIKES! My husband is the same way, he ends up in the ER every 4-5 years because he’s stubborn as well! You gotta love have handy men around you! Love it! Linda
I do love my stubborn husband! He is so awesome! Who else gives new cars for birthdays? LOL Yes, the first year we were married, I got a new car. And last year for our thirtieth anniversary, I got a week trip to Hawaii, the big island. It was a surprise for me. It doesn’t seem like almost 31 years. Time flies when your happy! And I am!
Hi Deborah, oh my gosh, you went to Hawaii for your anniversary!! Woohoo! Life is good with a good hubby! Linda
Linda, if you or anyone gets a chance to go to Hawaii, take the chance. Granted it was a long flight. Just over 24 hours, counting lay-overs. Not as long coming back though. The week there was awesome. We even saw Santa! LOL Next time, we’re going to cruise over, cruise the islands, and cruise back. 3 weeks total.
Hi Deborah, I have been to Hawaii, but never cruised there! Three weeks would be awesome! Linda
Several years ago we went on a transatlantic 2 week cruise to Spain and stayed for 4 days in Barcelona. It was awesome! But . . . Every meal is served with a fried egg. LOL
Linda,
Sorry for the late reply. We have had a number of errands today and had to help a good friend with some problems he had this morning. So, I am just now getting to read my emails.
Luckily for us, after four days of boil water for consumption and any use in cleansing of the face and hands, the boil water notice was cancelled late yesterday afternoon, July 10. We were both ready for a good shower and shampoo. That was about as long as I could stand it without breaking out my SHTF shower device so I could use boiled water. LOL! Not a lot of fun for those four days. But, those who lost their lives or lost loved ones are suffering and grieving, so I could not complain. There is so much clean-up to do just over 50 miles upstream from us. The Guadalupe River feeds Canyon Lake that is just a few miles south of us.
We have already donated to the Cajun Navy related Ground Force Humanitarian Aid group enough to buy a commercial chain saw. They were pleading for new chain saws as the ones they had were wearing out rapidly with constant use. They do great work in disaster areas and spent months last year in North Carolina. We try to support them as much as we can.
HI Harry, they you for the update. You are a blessing to be able to contribute to the Cajun Navy related Ground Force Humanitarian Aid group! There will be so much cleanup, those first responders can use some help to purchase new equipment. They really do great work in disaster areas. Glad you and your wife are okay for now. I can’t imagine that much rain in such a short period of time. We all must pray for the families and the first responders and thank those who are helping. God bless Texas and North Carolina families right now. Linda
Linda,
I just received an email from Camille with GFHA thanking me for the contribution. Camille said that she did not realize we were that close to the area and wanted to make sure we were okay. She also asked if Canyon Lake could accept the immense runoff coming down the Guadalupe River. I assured her that it could since the lake was 31 feet low before this started. It has risen twelve feet and the rise has slowed way down the last two days. That twelve feet equates to billions of cubic feet of water. Regardless, GFHA are a wonderful organization and I recommend that anyone who can afford it consider donating to their efforts.
Hi Harry, my youngest daughter I named Camille, I love that name. What a blessing that Camille with GFHA could email you and assess the damage where you are. Thank you for recommending to our group where to donate if they have the means. It’s going to take more than village to help this flooding mess. Stay safe, my sweet friend, Linda
Hi Linda,
You have done a wonderful job over the years of getting people ready sensibly. My suggestion today doesn’t apply for sudden emergencies. YOU have them ready for that.
For known problems heading your way, like hurricanes or blizzards, I have a couple of things that I do. We never know the duration. Plan for the worst. Hope for the best.
While I’m doing specific prep, I get ALL the laundry done. Clean sheets on all beds, all clothes. For prolonged outages, you will want to wear clothes a little longer than usual. Maybe a lot longer. Perhaps have work clothes and then, at the end of the day after a quick wash up, change into another outfit. Both can be worn more days that way. It is nice to have clean undies every day, though.
Starting out with all laundry done means you have that out of the way.
If it is summer, mow the grass.
I found in my many experiences that if there is a lot of debris, it’s psychologically helpful for a neighborhood to find, if possible, a designated place to pile all of it. We have a couple of empty lots. My neighbors enthusiastically went along with that after Ian. That way they were able to get their property looking more tidy. It really matters. Our staff psychologist said that people want their “stuff” in order. “Stuff” has a broad definition. Once your “stuff” is ok- or as good as you can get it- life calms down. In a major disaster, help won’t come soon enough and it won’t BE enough. It takes a while for boots on the ground and the right equipment to arrive.
With all the diasters happening now, YOU are even more important.
Hi CAddison, thank you my sweet friend for your kind words. You have lived through all sorts of situations that have YOU rady for just about everything, in my mind anyway. You nailed it on clean undies is critical, Amen on that one. Great point, we can wear clothes an extra day or two but underwear, yep it’s gotta be clean! I feel strongly I must keep showing people if they are prepared they will survive. Although, some disasters people will not survive. But those of us who do survive can help the families struggling who have lost everything. That’s why we prep with a few extra cans, and of course toilet paper. May God bless Texas and North Carolina families NOW! Linda