Emergencies and disasters can happen anytime without warning. Very few people saw the global pandemic coming, and the effects are still being seen today. Taking certain steps can help you weather any disaster with ease while providing you with peace of mind. What should you know when preparing for an emergency?
Why You Need to Prepare for Emergencies
When emergencies or disasters strike, being prepared with some basic supplies and plans in place makes all the difference in keeping your family safe, secure, and comfortable. Whether it is a hurricane warning that requires evacuation or a sudden winter storm that knocks out power, there are simple steps you can take now to minimize panic and stress when unpredictable crises occur.
Having emergency provisions for survival items like food, water, first-aid supplies, batteries, flashlights, and alternate cooking sources will allow you to shelter in place at home safely until electricity, water, and other basic services are restored. Knowing evacuation routes and shelter locations, how to shut off utilities, and having go-bags stocked and ready for the whole family will allow for better decision-making if quick action is required during emergencies. The ability to meet basic needs, act decisively, and focus calmly during stressful scenarios is what makes the commitment to emergency preparedness so worthwhile.
Basic emergency preparedness precautions protect your property, prevent secondary impacts from things like burst pipes if heat is lost, decrease the risk of injury, and often reduce overall recovery time and cost if emergency services are overwhelmed. Being prepared is empowering and smart.
Create an Emergency Supply Kit
One of the most important aspects of emergency preparedness is having an emergency supply kit stocked with basic items your household may need. Prepare enough supplies to last for at least three days, though longer is ideal if possible. Keep your emergency kit in an easily accessible location like a large plastic tub or bag that can be transported quickly if evacuation is necessary. Your basic emergency supply kit should include the following, at a minimum.
- Water – Stock a minimum of one gallon per person per day for at least three days, although more is better
- Non-perishable food – Choose ready-to-eat items that don’t require refrigeration or preparation, and include a manual can opener in this kit
- Flashlight and extra batteries along with portable chargers for electronic devices
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio for obtaining emergency information
- First aid kit – Include any necessary medications or medical supplies
- A multi-purpose tool like a Swiss Army Knife
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items, including toilet paper, feminine products, soap, and hand sanitizer
- Copies of important documents like identification cards and insurance information in a waterproof bag
- Cash in small denominations
- Extra blankets, clothing, and sturdy shoes
- Contact information for family and emergency services
- MIRA Safety Gas Mask for every family member
Prepare smaller go-bags with essential three-day supplies in backpacks for your home, office, and vehicles so emergency resources can travel with you if rapid evacuation is called for. Make sure to check expiration dates and update the food, water, and batteries in your emergency kits every six months.
Develop a Family Emergency Plan
Your emergency preparedness plan should involve all members of your household including children. Have a family discussion about possible risks where you live like earthquakes, flooding, tornadoes, or winter storms. Explain dangers to children at their comprehension level without causing undue fear. Develop an emergency plan that outlines where to meet if separated, how to contact each other, who to ask for help, evacuation routes from your home, work, and schools, and what you would do if basic services like power, heating, or plumbing are disrupted.
Post emergency numbers in a visible spot for babysitters or visitors. Teach children how and when to dial 911. Practice your emergency plan annually including fire and tornado drills to reinforce the information. Review your emergency meeting places and contacts if anyone’s routine location changes to ensure all data is up to date.
Know Community Emergency Plans
Learn about emergency response plans established in your area by schools, workplaces, and local officials. Subscribe to community alert messages on platforms like phone apps, email lists, and social media. This allows local emergency responders like police and fire departments to send geographically targeted notifications about immediate dangers and necessary safety precautions. Pay attention to guidance from neighborhood associations or local media after storms about where to obtain basic needs like food and water if prolonged outages occur. Following community emergency protocols helps coordinate a more unified local response and faster recovery.
Home Hazard Prevention
There are steps you can take to reduce damage and injuries at home before, during, and after an emergency.
- Secure appliances like televisions and bookshelves to walls
- Move heavy items to low shelves or hand-attach to walls
- Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers on each level of the home
- Learn how and when to shut off utilities during an emergency
- Trim overhanging tree limbs that could detach and cause damage
- Retrofit the home if you live in earthquake, flood, or tornado-prone areas to reinforce the structure
- Keep trash and debris clear from around your home’s perimeter
Protect Critical Records
After an emergency, many victims find themselves struggling to reconstruct critical personal records damaged or left behind in their homes. Scan identification cards, insurance policies, medical records, deeds, financial statements, family photos, and more to an encrypted cloud storage service or external hard drive. Make physical and cloud copies of data for redundancy in case one backup fails. Keep at least one form of identification and copies of critical documents somewhere easily accessed outside your home, like a bank safe deposit box, should evacuation occur suddenly without time to gather more than your go-bags.
Disaster Mental Health
Emotional trauma frequently accompanies disasters when people experience injuries, property damage, financial disruption, anxiety about aftershocks, or secondary events. Your emergency preparedness planning helps restore mental stability through less chaotic response and recovery procedures. Maintain awareness of signs you or family members need crisis counseling via community services publicized in emergency announcements. Consult professionals immediately if you notice ongoing symptoms like flashbacks, panic attacks, excessive avoidance, hypervigilance, or suicidal thoughts, which signify post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) emerging if the symptoms persist beyond approximately six weeks. Mental health supports mitigate the intensity of trauma responses and promote long-term resilience.
Practice Emergency Preparedness
Like any skill, emergency response capabilities require regular practice to manage stress and learn how to function during chaotic crises. Schedule time every six months to review or revise details of your emergency plan and update supplies and records. Perform safety drills with your household, focusing on evacuation procedures, communication chains, and utility shutoffs. Analyze what worked or failed during these practice runs, building muscle memory of emergency techniques to make them second nature when urgent action is required. Use emergency kit items like alternate light sources, radios, and first aid supplies to become comfortable handling them. Consistent reinforcement reduces dangers by enabling quick, clear-headed reactions amidst disaster confusion.
Stay Informed on Early Alerts
Local authorities provide early warning, when possible, about imminent threats through emergency alert systems. Pay attention to wireless emergency alerts, and brief text notifications sent to mobile devices in targeted geographic areas experiencing danger like floods, active shooters, wildfires, or chemical leaks. Sign up for community-based alert messaging systems with phone numbers and email contacts through Nixle or social media. Monitor television, radio, and internet news outlets for public safety announcements when threats are elevated in your region, like tornado watches and warnings or evacuation orders. Take all alerts seriously and follow guidance from public agencies to minimize harm.
Helping Vulnerable Populations
Some groups face increased risks during emergencies due to limited resources, isolation, disabilities, or reliance on routine medical equipment like oxygen or dialysis. Check on vulnerable neighbors in your community when disasters impact the electrical, water, or transportation infrastructure they depend on. Assist them in preparing their emergency supply kits if needed. Help register them for emergency aid databases like Red Cross Safe and Well or FEMA’s National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System, which provide information to their loved ones. If you or your loved ones rely on accessible accommodations or medical devices, include backup equipment and charging methods in emergency kits and inform first responders about your needs for transportation or shelters.
Share This Plan with Extended Family and Friends
Extended family and friends may be able to provide useful input as you develop your emergency plan, strengthening it. Sharing the locations of emergency supply kits, copies of key documents, and contingency plans gives others the ability to take appropriate action on your behalf if you are unavailable or unable to enact your plans. Equally important is being informed of the emergency plans made by relatives and friends so you can assist them as well. Discussing emergency plans openly leads to more resilient relationships and communities in times of hardship. Though emergencies are never welcome, being well-prepared together with loved ones can make a major difference.
Emergency preparedness empowers you to meet crises with a lifesaving response versus panic. Disasters will continue. Implementing emergency education and community planning promotes resilience to save property and lives. By focusing on emergency awareness, preparation, and disaster mitigation infrastructure, we all have opportunities to turn emergencies into minor inconveniences rather than catastrophes through diligent personal, family, and public safety efforts. The time invested now in emergency readiness provides peace of mind and benefits everyone you care about.
