When you plan ahead for the event of a natural disaster you can work through the devastation that accompanies these emergencies.
Emergencies like a tornado can take everything away in a blink of an eye. Planning for disasters is more than putting a stockpile of goods away in your home pantry.
Creating a back up plan and put your mind into focus on What If scenarios makes you a healthy survivor... not a crisis victim.
Pre-plan not only what and where your meals are going to come from but how are you going to find help and what are you going to do in the event of a major event happening in your life.
Do you have the skills and mindset you need to gather and set up a workable after disaster living situation?
In the video this area of Joplin Missouri was totaled. The homes were left as piles of timber, rubble, and trash. Could you ride the aftermath of this phenomenon out until help is found or arrives?
Put your skills down on paper and list what you might have to know in order to remain sane after an event of this kind. Now list the skills you want to know about. We face these kinds of weather patterns all over the United States anymore. Floods, fires, and earthquakes can cause similar extreme damage to our living situations. Civil unrest can do this, too.
The aftermath of an event like this can leave your family without power, fresh water, food, and certain comfort items such as clean clothing and a comfortable bed! Put an emergency kit together for your vehicle that may assist you in the event one of these nasty situations occur. Your vehicle may take a battering better than your home and you may not have to dig those items out of rubble as long as you still are able to locate the key to your trunk!
If I were to plan a recovery for this kind of a scene, my first priority is our family's safety. Is it a safe enough area to stay here? Are there any hazards that need to be dealt with such as downed power lines or gas pipes? Are we going to need to defend ourselves where we are or are we going to have to move to a safer location?
The second skill I know I would need is an ability to set up a shelter. Whether it is setting up a tent for myself and a few family members or create a shelter our of the scavenged items. Setting up a lean to or a "fort" as we called em as kids. I know I am going to need a shelter for resting. I know I need water and food. We need a safely considered fire pit and fuel for cooking and warmth. I will need a way to dispose of waste, so we need to establish an area for a latrine. In a separate area I will need away to prepare foods and wash my face and hands. There may be a need for first aid. Do I have this knowledge ahead of the disaster?
If you went through a scouting program, you may be one of the lucky ones who had this kind of information given to them early. I highly recommend getting a scouting manual for your survival library. Inside the cover of these books is the life saving techniques and hand reference materials that you will need to ride out any kind of a situation. The basics taught in these handy books are
priceless!
Video: CNN: Tornadoes, Survivors and the Urgent Need for Disaster Preparedness
This video puts enough fear in me to know that what I am constantly working on improving may be a wise decision. I am confident our supplies are sufficient even on the small scale that we can plan. I would rather face the possibilities I will never use these items than endure a devastation without them.
In the video I noticed a person holding a shovel and facing the destroyed home they once knew. Although I doubt there is much that they can do with this small tool against this wreck of a home, they can put it to use in several ways. Dig a fire pit, a latrine, and trench a shelter to steer water away from the temporary living area. It can also be used to remove hazards to a pile away from foot traffic.
For a few ideas, gather items from the list below:
72 hour kit for the car trunk:
Shovel
Axe
Work Gloves
Small Tent
Portable Radio
Whistle
Water - Store a couple of 3 gallon water containers. At LEAST one per person
MRE's - store at least 2 meals per family member for about 3 days worth
Dry foods - Items that may not evaporate or be contaminated from the heat of your car trunk may be handy foods for times of this nature. Dry soups and quick pastas need hot water to prepare and are minimal sustenance but they are better than going hungry. Something in the belly is a simple comfort on the mind.
First Aid Kit
Toilet paper
Change of Clothing
Bedrolls / Sleeping bags
Bleach - at last a gallon
Towels
Extra pair of shoes
There are many other things I could list but these are some of the basics of human necessity. Are you ready to get started?
Helpful resources and links:
