A Quick Primer on Planning For Emergency and Disaster Survival

Over the last few years, citizens from all over- Food - There are many options here, depending
the world have experienced various forms ofon your budget, your storage capabilities and how
disaster - hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes,far in advance you want to plan. The best long
strong storms, tsunami's, etc. - proving thatterm option is freeze dried or dehydrated food.
disaster can hit just about anywhere, anytime.You can also purchase emergency food bars that
Even where I live in the mid-Atlantic of the Unitedhave a long shelf live. Another option is just to
States, we have had flooding, strongpurchase extra canned food and boxes of rice
thunderstorms that knocked out power, iceand pasta when you shop at the grocery store.
storms where we had no electricity for five plusBut these products have a much shorter shelf life,
days, a two-year drought that affected foodso you will have to plan on rotating your stock on
availability and prices - not to mention a perioda consistent basis.
where gas stations had no gas which scared the- Communications - If there is a loss of power,
wits out of everyone. All of a sudden, manyyou will quickly lose your ability to communicate
people for the first time felt vulnerable about thewith the outside world. The best option is a hand
reliability of the infrastructure.crank or solar powered radio such as the
When you start factoring in other issues of theDynamo Solar Radio, which will allow you to stay
day - such as a political environment that isupdated via AM, FM and shortwave radio. You
dividing the USA - one must start considering howshould also consider some two-way radio's to
all of these might play out in the future. Incommunicate with your neighbors.
America, there has never been any question that- Light - When the power is lost, you will need
the government would protect its citizens fromsome way to generate. Again, a good option is a
danger, an be there whenever there were peoplecrank radio, or one that can be activated by
who needed help. The government's response toshaking. Battery-powered flashlights will only get
hurricane Katrina (or the lack thereof) was anyou so far, so it's important to have other light
early warning sign that things were changing andsources. You can also consider long-burning
that people should start thinking about beingcandles that provide up to 100 hours of light.
better prepared to protect themselves if faced- Pets - Don't forget about "man's best friend",
with a disaster. But even with all of that toincluding food, water and basic first aid for them
consider, many Americans today are veryas well.
concerned with the economic condition of our- First aid - Don't overlook this important part of
country and the very real possibility that theyour emergency plan. If there is a catastrophe,
recession is in fact becoming much, much worse.there is a real good chance that there could be
Unemployment continues to rise, millions ofinjuries that need to be managed. You can
Americans are having trouble paying their bills andpurchase these in an emergency first-aid kit that
making their mortgage payment, the value of thewill include the most important ingredients - a
US Dollar is plummeting and business investmentgood selection of bandages, disinfectant,
has all but disappeared. The result is a very fragilesunscreen, burn cream, scissors, safety pins,
economic system that some believe is teeteringantibiotic ointment, some mild pain killers, an
on the brink of crashing.emergency supply of any critical prescription
Today, more and more people are starting tomedications for any family member and some
realize that the food system they have relied onfinger splints.
for their whole life is in danger. There are any- Warmth and shelter - Keep access to blankets,
number of things that cause the food supply chainsleeping bags and other heavy clothes within easy
to break - escalating cost of energy, a fragile oilreach in case you need to grab them quickly. You
and gas system that is dependent of foreignshould also consider some rainwear.
countries, food-producing companies that could- Personal products - Don't forget about personal
collapse and a host of other potential problemproducts such as toilet paper, tissues, toothpaste
areas.and a brush, soap, shampoo, dental floss, lotion,
It is time to accept that you must start makingdeodorant, a razor, washcloth, comb and women's
plans to protect your family. Many people start bysanitary products.
stocking up on long term supply. Others start- Tools - There are any number of tools that you
smaller by buying or assembling a 72-hour survivalshould consider, but the best place to start is a
kit that will get them through the first few daysmultifunction knife. Another key item to include
of a catastrophic even. It is a very good ideaare dust masks in case there are environment
(and common sense) to have an emergency kit inissues to be concerned with.
your home just in case. As with anything else, itIt is almost impossible to do this all at once. That's
never hurts to be prepared. There are also somewhy it is very important to start with the basic
other basic ways to begin your emergencyitems and start adding as you can. If you have
preparation, but remember food and water arethe budget and the ability to store larger
the first priority.quantities, the best and most economical way is
- Water - You need to plan on having at least 16to purchase large quantities up front. Freeze dried
ounces of water a day - per person. You canfood has a very long shelf life (25 years) so
purchase gallons of water at Wal-Mart or Costco,making a purchase ensures that your family will
and as long as they are unopened, you should bebe protected for years to come. Think about it is
able to get a long shelf life. Another thing you canan insurance policy to make sure you and your
do to make the bottled water last longer is to getfamily are safe.
a supply of water purification tablets.