Natural disasters are known for forming life-threatening circumstances, from hurricanes in the Atlantic to deadly earthquakes in California. However, these disasters are somewhat different; therefore, the emergency preparedness approach is a little different as well. For instance, you will have to move all the fragile items in case of an earthquake; but, you won’t do the same for a hurricane.
Let’s have a look at some of the fundamentals tips and tricks to prepare for any disaster:
Natural disasters are known for forming life-threatening circumstances, from hurricanes in the Atlantic to deadly earthquakes in California. However, these disasters are somewhat different; therefore, the emergency preparedness approach is a little different as well. For instance, you will have to move all the fragile items in case of an earthquake; but, you won’t do the same for a hurricane.
Let’s have a look at some of the fundamentals tips and tricks to prepare for any disaster:
Keep Your Phone Charged
It is crucial to keep your phone fully charged and set on the power-saving mode in these difficult circumstances. Phones come in really handy when the need to use maps arises. Make sure to download some maps now, so you don’t eat up all your battery life in decisive situations.
Avoid Using Tap Water
There’s a good chance that the tap water would no longer be safe and become contaminated in hurricanes or floods. During harsh thunderstorms, it is recommended to avoid being near plumbing in order to prevent the lightning from striking you.
Stay Away from Both Floodwater and Standing Water
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, research revealed that almost all the affected areas saw a hike in the West Nile virus due to mosquitoes that were thriving in the standing water. Floodwater could also hide dangerous objects, be contaminated with sewage, or carry a deadly disease.
Keep a First-aid kit with you
During these uncertain times, make sure that you have a first-aid kit that has tweezers, thermometers, bug spray, an emergency blanket, latex gloves, hand sanitizer, gauze, antibiotic creams, bandages, aspirin, etc. Stay alert and ensure emergency preparedness.
Store Documents in a waterproof container
Make sure that you protect all your key documents such as Social Security cards, ID cards, debit/credit cards, etc. Losing your essential documents would just add to the misery and make things worse. However, these things are easy to forget in an emergency. In case you have to evacuate, ensure that you take your essential documents with you to your new place.
Stock up on medicine, water, and food
For emergency preparedness, you have to stock up on supplies that would last at least seven days. Load up on canned foods, bread, butter, and fill plastic bottles. Furthermore, keep important medicines with you as well.
Tune in to local TV stations, NOAA radio, or local radio
This couldn’t be stressed enough!! In unpredictable situations, always get hold of or tune into radio stations to receive all the latest information about the fire, or the path of the storm that’s headed your way. Make sure to find these channels/stations beforehand, so you’re not panicking at the last moment.