6 Disaster-Preparedness Tips for Homeowners
When reading about natural disasters like forest fires, flooding, earthquakes, or tornados, do you wonder if you’re prepared to deal with such an event? If a disruption prevents trucks from delivering food to grocery stores, it won’t take long for the shelves to be empty. And the last thing you want is to be caught unprepared with no game plan if a calamity strikes suddenly.
In the event of a natural disaster, power grid disruption, or something else that causes chaos, you might find that it’s no longer business as usual. So, it’s wise to be prepared and know what to do.
If you don’t have an emergency preparedness plan for your household, you need to consider it. Continue reading to see six tips for homeowners who want to implement a plan — just in case.
- Consider What You’re Up Against
First, you should figure out what you’re up against. Does your region face heightened risks for earthquakes, snowstorms, floods, and wildfires? Investing in a portable or standby generator, solar panels, garden equipment, and an emergency food and water supply makes sense.
- Ensure You Have Sufficient Food and Water
You must have enough food and water to help weather the storm. While some experts recommend having three days’ worth of food and water, it’s better to be more prepared. Whether through canning your own veggies, meat, and fruits or buying canned or non-perishable goods, you should strive to have a stash of food and drink that can last your family for weeks or months.
That way, if a natural disaster touches down and you cannot go to the supermarket, you won’t have to panic. When you’re prepared, you can provide for your family and perhaps be part of the solution for neighbors and friends who aren’t as well prepared as you.
- Put Together an Emergency Kit
It makes sense to assemble an emergency kit. Include things like a first aid kit, flashlights, a radio, batteries, a basic tool set, a manual can opener, personal sanitation items, pet food and supplies, phone chargers, and other things you’ll want on hand during an emergency.
- Create an Action Plan
When creating an emergency preparedness plan, don’t forget to devise an action strategy so everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes. You’ll stipulate where everyone should meet up and what everyone should do to stay safe. Your action plan should also include a list of numbers everyone in your family should have.
- Put Important Documents in a Safe Place
You’ll also want to place critical documents in a safe place — such as a fireproof safe. Include insurance documents, passports, social security cards, birth certificates, deeds, and other things you may need quick access to if there’s a natural disaster or some other calamity. Do you have pets? Include vaccination records and other essential documents.
- Assign Duties
Assigning responsibilities when there’s an emergency also makes sense. Ensure everyone has a duty. There may not be enough time when disaster strikes to figure out who does what, so it’s best to assign responsibilities now. And once everyone knows what they’re responsible for, practicing the home evacuation plan won’t hurt.
While no one wants to deal with an emergency, you can make a bad situation less stressful if you have an emergency preparedness plan. It’s the sort of thing all homeowners should have — yet you can bet that many homeowners don’t have a plan in place. Work on a strategy for your family. You’ll hope you never have to use it. But it’ll be great to have in place — just in case.