Here are some tips for long term preparedness to survive the aftermath of a natural disaster:
A natural disaster usually comes and goes so quickly that you barely have time to register it. What sticks around, however, is the aftermath.
When we talk about emergencies and disasters, more often than not we’re talking about withstanding the aftermath which could last days, weeks, months or even years. This is why being prepared with 72 hours worth of supplies, simply isn’t enough.
Ten years ago, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake and today, people are still rebuilding. People still live in huts with tarps as ceilings. Even in New Orleans, reconstruction took years to rebuild, many were displaced from their homes while many people turned to homelessness. Tourism and the city have generally returned to normal as of 2020, but every year they are still threatened with tropical storms and hurricanes which brings flooding and strong winds.
If a tornado wiped out your house, would you rebuild? Would you move? Where would you go? What would you do? Would insurance cover it? Would you have enough savings? What about friends and family? How would you be able to save yourself and move on? Could you protect yourself from looters? Would you be able to help others?
We need to have plans, strategies and contingencies to make sure that we’re safe, comfortable and nourished in the event of a long term preparedness scenario.
Long term survival needs to be taken into account in your emergency and disaster plan. Maybe it’s as simple as moving into your relatives home for a while. Or maybe you don’t have anyone to rely on and need to find a place to live in the mean time. Whatever the case may be, make sure to have multiple plans ready to go. The best way to have plans ready to go is to make an emergency disaster plan with your family.
Where could you go if you were displaced from your home? Maybe a hotel? But a hotel costs money, how long would you realistically be able to stay in a hotel? Could you go camping? How long would you realistically be able to camp? Do you have friends or relatives that you could stay with? How long would you realistically be able to stay with them? Maybe you have a camper or RV that you can stay in? But where would you be able to park it?
Unless you live on an island and that island gets destroyed (which has happened many times), the likelihood of needing to procure food in the wilderness is slim. Being able to get to a developed area that wasn’t devastated by whatever disaster, is probable, though not always a possibility.
However, getting settled somewhere else or re-settled in your current home (maybe it just needs some repairs?) will take time.
In the mean time, it’ll be good to know how to procure food in a variety of ways. Learning wilderness survival could help to supplement your food and water. You could collect wild edibles, get a book and start learning now. You could also collect water from a nearby source then purify it. That would help to supplement and extend the life of your food and water supply. Having a sillcock key will help a lot with urban water procurement.
I will caution you not to drink or even try to attempt to purify flood water. Flood water is usually contaminated by sewer water and isn’t safe to drink, even if filtered.
The best way to ensure that you and your family are nourished is to store plenty of nonperishable food and water, start with 2 weeks worth, but you’ll need plenty more. If you must evacuate, and you’re able to evacuate in a vehicle, take as much of that food and water with you when you evacuate. If your plan involves living in a bunker or basement because of a tornado or other incident, make sure that living space is well stocked with food, water, alternative cooking options, medical supplies, batteries, toilet paper, hygiene, entertainment, etc.
In a long term scenario, you may have to defend yourself, your family and/or your property. It really depends on the situation but it never hurts to have defensive measure in place to ensure your family will be secure and safe. This is especially important if your plan is to live in a hotel or to camp. You’ll most likely be in an unfamiliar place, with a lot of unfamiliar people. If you do plan to stay in a hotel, get a door stop security device. If you plan to camp, even if it’s in an RV, consider getting some wireless alarm systems.
Safety also includes medical needs or injuries. Keep an advanced first aid kit handy and know how and when to use the items inside. Also keep any needed medications with you at all times. If you need extra batteries to support any medical devices, ask your doctor for extra batteries for emergency purposes.
Being worry-free of debt while you’re making a huge adjustment to your life will be a great relief. While there are services out there that can help people through a disaster, you want to be as self-sufficient as possible. And in the long run, you may also want to be able to help others. Being debt free will relieve the stress of potentially being without work (what if your place of work shut down because of the disaster?). Having a savings will help everyone get by for some time.
Having a foldable, compact solar panel can help to charge your devices no matter where you are. No need for gas in a generator or anything else. As long as you have your device charging cable, you can charge your devices right from the sun. You may also want to consider getting an external battery to charge any time, anywhere (which can also be charged by the solar panel).
Keep a radio and/or NOAA weather radio with you at all times to stay informed about the storm and your local area. Be sure to keep extra batteries, as well. You may also want to consider getting your HAM license.
Your world is about to get rocked to its core. Practicing good habits now will transfer over in a stressful long term situation. Practice positive thinking and stress reduction techniques (deep breathing can work wonders to reduce stress, as well as meditation). Stay as active as possible, walking for 30 minutes a day is better than nothing. Surround yourself with positive people who are willing to do whatever it takes. You’ll be able to tackle any situation that comes your way in everyday life, and especially a disaster, if you’re in good overall mental, physical and emotional health.
As stated, the aftermath of an emergency or disaster is highly stressful. If you need help in anyway, whether it’s just to talk or if you need financial help or anything else, reach out to someone immediately.
Support could also come in the form of insurance. Many of us have insurance for our homes and property, now would be a good time to call them and talk about your policy. Ask them how you’re covered and when payouts would happen.
When it comes to surviving any situation, whether short term or long term, we need to start preparing now. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start making plans and stocking up on supplies now. You’ll be more confident, safe and nourished if you prepare today.
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Here are some tips for long term preparedness to survive the aftermath of a natural disaster:
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