Category: Hurricane

Dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters

Dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters is something I feel isn’t often discussed – BEFORE an unsavory situation occurs. It doesn’t matter what kind of natural disaster we are talking about – we pretty much need to follow all of the same steps going forward. Think of it like dealing with the standard steps of grieving, you need to work your way through it all so you can move forward.

Dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters showing an earthquake mess

There are probably a few more steps in here that you might experience, I am just covering the big basics. The bottom line? If YOU have survived a natural disaster, you CAN move forward and get past all of this.

Dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters

What constitutes a natural disaster? Natural disasters are catastrophic events with atmospheric, geological, and hydrological origins (e.g., droughts, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides) that can cause fatalities, property damage and social environmental disruption.

Whew- isn’t that a mouthful?

Basically, it is anything that the planet can throw at us that majorly disrupts our way of life.

Knowing that, we can plan ahead for only so much. We can have our first aid, food stores, water supply, and bug out bags – but depending on the situation? We may or may not have the access to all of that. Let’s look at what we might have to deal with:

Handling the Initial Shock

It can be very shocking at first when you see your home severely damaged by a storm, but you have to remain calm and collected.

I remember when tornadoes hit Stoughton Wisconsin in 2005. There was an F3 that leveled a few homes and farms – spreading contents everywhere. The local community pulled together and volunteers combed the area to help clean up and collect belongings for the original owners.

A mom brought her little girl along, maybe seven years old, thinking it would not only be a great service opportunity, but a lesson on nature, disaster preparation, and survival.

It backfired big time.

That poor kiddo was traumatized at seeing toys spread across a field, some speared by corn stalks. The mere thought of that happening to HER belongings was more than she could conceptualize and they had to leave.

She is probably still in therapy to this very day – the poor kiddo.

That is the thing to keep in mind though, it IS shocking to see the aftermath.

  • The remnants of your belongings scattered across an area.
  • The watermarks up to the second story of your flooded home.
  • Your yard covered in feet of sand and silt.
  • Your belongings under layers of rubble.

You need to be mentally prepared for WHAT you might be looking at after an extreme event – maybe watch a few videos, together as a family, to get an idea what might happen so there are no surprises.

Here is a great video on Earthquakes: Earthquakes 101 | National Geographic

Aftermath of Natural Disasters: Assess the Extent of the Damage

Sometimes storm damage can look worse than it really is. A few shingles missing from a roof isn’t really as bad as it seems, but broken windows or caved in structures can be quite bad.

It is important to decide if your structure is safe enough to actually stay in post-disaster. Can your windows be boarded up? Do you need to add a support beam or two for floors? Is everything soaked beyond belief?

Eventually, insurance will get involved, etc – but from the history of events in the United States? It can take months, if not years, for everything to be settled. Just look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. That is the lack of efficiency at its best – with government fund mismanagement and insurance fraud.

It will also need to be defensible against rioters or looters – there might be other, more desperate people out there to be aware of.

You need to decide if your home is safe enough to live in right now, or not.

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What to do if your house is gone

Severe disasters can sometimes completely level houses or damage them to a point beyond repair, so you will need to figure out if a shelter or temporary housing is the best option.

Rough it

If you have camping supplies, a tent, or even a pop-up camper, you can probably make it through without having to leave the area if the environment is safe enough. It certainly beats those FEMA trailers that turned out to not only be toxic but designed for a short-term living situation. We are talking six months or so.

Public Shelters

The Red Cross often sets up shelters in schools and community centers. This may be a viable option – but those are usually build on the cheapest land and that land gets hit the hardest. Schools are often leveled in an earthquake.

Friends and family

If none of those are workable options for you then seeing if there is a family couch you can surf might be the next best step. I know I could have stayed with my mom in an instant if I needed to – and have offered my sister in Florida a safe haven when hurricanes have invaded.

They will no doubt be the most understanding if there are a lot of personal items that are destroyed. You can try to regroup and look ahead for a brighter future.

Dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters picture of flooding

Don’t Try to Deal with it All by Yourself

You should seek out help after a natural disaster to have your home at least somewhat restored. If a disaster is serious enough, many people around the world or country will donate, even the government at some points.

While this is true, it can take a LOT of time for the funds to trickle down to those who actually need it. Some insurance companies are awesome and set up “drive-thru” clinics to speed the process along.

People will come in droves to assist – usually bringing food, water, clothes, etc and then, the manpower will come. Even kids in church youth groups will arrive to help clear debris and restore some semblance of normalcy once an area is deemed safe.

This is where you can have some faith in humanity – they WILL pull together and help you, mostly the average Joe.

Aftermath of Natural Disasters: Tensions can be High

You’ll have a lot of emotions running through your head after a disaster, but learn to handle them rather than lashing out on people who couldn’t have done anything about it.

Everyone involved are going through some of the 7 stages of grief:

  • Shock and denial. This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.
  • Pain and guilt.
  • Anger and bargaining.
  • Depression.
  • The upward turn.
  • Reconstruction and working through.
  • Acceptance and hope.

While you do need to protect you and yours, you need to realize you are part of a larger community that is going through the same thing.

When downtown Sun Prairie exploded, I couldn’t believe all of the fundraisers and volunteers! I still see #SunPraireStrong bumper stickers and T-shirts to this day – and some of those who received help? They have gone on to pay it forward for other unfortunate incidents in our community.

The bottom line when dealing with the Aftermath of Natural Disasters? It is all about your mindset. Be ready for what you MAY experience and know that we can do anything, for a short period of time. If the people you love have survived, you have saved everything that is really the most important in life. You will be OK going forward, even if it is a rocky journey at times.

Tornado aftermath of a tree that fell through a house

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Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe

It can be a very scary feeling to watch the local TV stations and see an impending weather event heading your way. Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe is one small thing that is important for you to navigate the situation effectively.

Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe article cover image with a hurricane

In Wisconsin, we only have thirteen minutes max from when they declare a tornado warning until it would hit. That isn’t a lot of time to panic or prepare – really just enough time to hit the basement or lowest part of your home.

It is different for those that have to watch a hurricane heading their way on TV for several days, up to a week. Are they tracking the path correctly? Is the intensity going to be what they plan? Are shelves being cleared as people stock up on water and canned food?

How do the hardware stores look- is plywood vanishing as people are trying to board up windows? Are highways crowded as people move inland?

The wildfires of the west are tracked and people try to decide if they need to leave their homes and all of their belongings just because the wind shifts.

You can see how the mental strain of watching something possible come up leaves people with a feeling of helplessness – and as they look for a semblance of control there are some things to consider.

Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe

Yes, I said MENTALLY. The illusion of control is very important to people and that is why the cold war had a ton of “duck and cover” campaigns. Looking back now, we understand that “duck and cover” would do absolutely nothing for us in the event of a nuclear bomb hitting our area – but it gave people something to focus on.

Learn How to Not Panic

Panicking is the worst thing you can do in any survival situation. It doesn’t help anything at best, and at worst it hinders you greatly.

This goes against our natural fight or flight response, but a clear head can make all of the difference. You need to be able to handle dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters and that means pushing the panic aside.

After outside help arrives, or everything is back to normal, THEN you can fall apart. Let all of those adrenalin endorphins dump and breathe – but get through the first few moments first.

Understand the severity of your situation

Not every weather catastrophe is the end of the world. Hurricanes for example may be bad, but it’s not going to kill you if you do everything right.

Are they calling for an evacuation or are they saying to shelter in place? Can you safely board up windows and hunker down? Do you need sandbags? It is a category 1 or 5?

There are so many things to take into consideration, but you need a clear head to do it.

Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe: Look on the brighter side of things

After a disaster, it can be easy to wallow in what you’ve lost, but try to look on the bright side of what you’ve kept, such as family.

Everything can be replaced. Every. Single. Thing.

It may take time, may take money, and may not be exactly the same as what you had before, but it can be replaced.

People can’t.

Hug your loved ones and keep your chin up – you are still together!

Taking Steps Before a Disaster Can Put You at Ease

Knowing that you’re well stocked up and prepared to take on the disaster can make it a lot easier in your mind, making you less likely to panic. This is a good thing to get the kids engaged so they have that illusion of control that I mentioned. It will help keep them from feeling helpless.

Do better – BE better than the FEMA guidelines that suggest a 72-hour supply for everyone. Think weeks, if not months of food, water, and medical supplies.

It’s a well-known fact that when a crisis is raging, there’s often panic among the masses. One of these reasons is because the media will often hype up situations in order to drive up the ratings.

This works because what it does is whips people into a frenzy and they make a run on supplies. You’ve probably seen empty grocery store shelves during times of uncertain weather.

When this is going on, it will often create a state where the demand will exceed the supply, which in turn only fuels more panic. What retailers do in response to this panic is they will jack up the prices.

just before a hurricane hits

Mentally Preparing for a Weather Catastrophe: Food storage

When stocking up on food – try keeping track of what you normally eat, as a family for a month. Look at that list, and then try to find the shelf-stable equivalent for your food storage.

You don’t need to gather tons of freeze-dried items or even MREs but can work through canned food, your own dehydrated fruits, and veggies, and your own canned soups, stews, and meals.

I know we have a lot of “heat and eat” meals ready to go – that not only make beyond busy weeks a breeze but are there for when we have to use a grill in the backyard to heat up a pot of planned goodness to fill our bellies.

You’ll need to do this for every member of your family – including your pets. For your water supply, you’ll want to look for ones labeled emergency water pouches or survival water pouches if you are looking at short-term supplies.

Water storage:

I have talked about this a lot – from rain barrels to bottled water, this is the biggie we need to make sure we have enough of. Keep an eye out on sales and pick up a case of water here and there, slowly adding to your stash instead of being in the checkout lines with the panic shoppers when something wicked is heading your way.

First Aid Supplies:

Build that extensive first aid kit before an emergency. It is good to have everything from ace bandages to pain killers on hand for helping possibly wounded survivors. You won’t feel horrible stacking people in a triage situation where they have to lay in misery until outside help arrives.

You’ll see sales on holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other days. Watch for the supplies you need to go on sale then, especially if they’re the more expensive items.

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Watch the sales

Pay attention to in-store sales, discount sales, and bulk buying sales. You can usually find something on sale in every one of the categories on your list. Keep it handy (and updated) and carry it with you at all times just in case.

Survival and prepping is something every household should be doing, regardless of their level of income. Dire situations don’t discriminate when it comes to wreaking havoc on society, and you want to be just as ready as your neighbors (if not more so) when anything causes you to go into bug-out mode.

No amount of prepping is too small. If all you can buy is an extra 3-pound bag of rice, then do it. A couple of cans of soup here and there is also a start. Don’t wait until you have plenty of extra money to buy everything all at once.

Having a Radio Can Make a Big Difference

Hearing constant updates about the situation can put your mind at a lot of ease compared to just hoping it’s safe outside constantly. A Hand-crank weather radio will be your best friend, especially if you have no power.

That is great for hearing about what is going on but won’t let you communicate with others. For that, you’ll want to splurge on a communication device such as ham radio or world band radio. You might also want to consider a short-wave radio. Splurge on a decent antenna and a solar charging system.

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Youth and Natural Disasters: Prepping for Survival

On October 25th, 2010, Indonesia was hit by a triple natural disaster. It is our responsibility to teach our children how to survive catastrophic events like this as when prepared? Youth and Natural Disasters are easier to handle: you help them take “ownership” of the event by teaching them to be prepared.

Youth and Natural Disasters: prepping for survival fire picture for front of article

Beginning on October 25th, 2010, Indonesia was blindsided by a triple natural hazard that turned catastrophic. The 7.7 earthquake shook Sumatra; only minutes later, a lethal tsunami pounded the shore. Then Mount Marapi began its devastating eruption.

Our Earth changes rapidly. We must be flexible to change with our environment. To do this, we must have an understanding of how our world works. This is true for our children as well.

Too often, we neglect to discuss natural hazards and disaster preparedness with our children. Maybe we feel they are too young. Perhaps we do not wish to worry them about something that may not happen. Or perhaps it is because we lack the information they should know.

Youth and Natural Disasters: How to Prep for Survival

Here are some quick things we can do to make sure we make a difference about how our kids handle things.

Communication

Even if we have had conversations with our children about these unexpected dangers, a deeper look into these phenomena will help our children and us subdue our fears while gaining knowledge. This will help us better prepare for and deal with a catastrophic event with a level head.

A huge part of communication is listening. Listen to your child. Their questions are critical. They may also have some excellent ideas that we have not thought of.

Importance

Our children must understand what to do and why. We teach them to call 911, to look both ways when crossing a street, and not to talk to strangers. We explore the reasons why with our child. We do this to help keep them safe even when we are not close by.

The last thing needed during an emergency is someone panicking. If we do not know what to do, it is frustrating and can become terrifying. During natural disasters, children are especially susceptible to anxiety, fear, and injury.

Natural disasters do not always come with a warning. Know what to look and listen for. This gives us precious seconds to take action and get to safety.

How to help kids deal with a fire

Our impact on our living world can directly influence the severity of the hazard. There are times catastrophes could have been avoided. Educate your Youth and Natural Disasters aren’t going to be as scary.

Survival

Surviving the initial incident is only part of what your children need to know. They also need to understand how to function in the aftermath. This could include evacuation, relocation, dealing with injuries, and eventually foraging for food and water.

Understanding it could be a long time before things are back to normal is very important for your child. Your survival kit is only a temporary solution. Show them where to find fresh water and food. Learn how to make a temporary shelter with your children.

helping a kid with surviving an earthquake

Haiti has shown us the need to learn about illnesses and infections and how to avoid them or deal with them. Another critical issue is teaching children how to stay clean and avoid contaminated waters.

Education & Research

Involve your children in helping to prepare a survival kit. Discuss with them why you want to make the kit. Ask the kids what things they believe should be put in them and why. Be sure to talk with your child about the different situations the kit may be useful in.

how to help kids survive a tornado

Research our living world with your child. It will be enlightening and exciting. Learn how the Earth changes and how those transformations can directly affect us. Pay particular attention to hazards common to the area you live in. If you change your residence and move to a new region, update your knowledge, as well as your survival kit.

Recognize that this does not mean only learning what to do during an event, but what caused that event in the first place, and what to do after the event. Replace the mystery with knowledge.

Exploration & Experimentation

Learning about Earth’s forces will beckon us to explore our part of the world. Take educational field trips. Learn about natural historical events of your region. Above all, ask questions and search for answers. You and your child are an investigative team. Learn all you can, search for clues, and enjoy Mother Nature.

Children learn through doing. Preparing for the unexpected is no different. Have practice drills for hazards you may face. Find science models and experiments to give kids a visual link to what they’ve learned.

how to help a kid survive a natural disaster

Natural disasters frequently sneak upon us. The quicker we can recover from the surprise, the faster we are able to take action, and the longer we can sustain it. With education, practice, and discussion, our children can be the voice of reason in emergency situations. Give our children a fighting chance.

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Youth and Natural Disasters

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now

If you’re in a situation with a pandemic or other survival situation and you don’t feel prepared for it, you can stock up your house with books that will help you learn the necessary skills. At the very least, you’ll have tools that teach you even if you don’t have all of the supplies you’d like to have.

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now

Our list of books on survival should make you a solid library for any future emergency.

Five Books on Survival You Should Order Before Your Internet Goes Out

I know we have talked about books to get before – but those were more of a Sci-Fi “what if” kind of book that took a lot of possible things into consideration. They opened the doors for family conversation and helped you make a list of possible things to brush up on and learn more about.

Make sure you check out what we said were great reads for preppers…even though today, we are talking about getting more “manual” type of books for your prepper library.

OUTDOOR LIFE – The Ultimate Survival Manual – 333 SKILLS That Will Get YOU Out Alive by Simon & Schuster

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now skills book

If you want a reference book that helps you learn the skills you need when you need them, you can’t beat this definitive guide. It’s full of hundreds of skills, from building fires to searching for shelter to handling first aid situations. Get this book HERE.

The Survival Medicine Handbook: A guide for when help is NOT on the way by Joseph Alton

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now medicine book

We’d all like to think we can call an ambulance or police officer to help us in times of need, but in a survival situation, you may only be able to count on yourself. 

This guide is a gem that will help you treat all types of health problems from minor first aid to major chronic illness. This book won’t give you a medical degree, but it can help you to cope when there’s no expert by your side. You can get it HERE.

Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman

5 Books on Survival You Should Get Now plant book

If you have to survive and you don’t have a garden already planted, this guide will help you to learn which plants you can eat and which ones you should stay away from. In a situation that requires you to forage for food, this field guide will give you the information you need. We found it HERE.

Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) by Steve Solomon

Gardening is one of the best ways that you can learn to survive in a difficult situation. But if you have no experience gardening, it may seem very overwhelming. This book is a complete guide to gardening to help you get started. While you’re at it, you also need to begin ordering seeds as soon as you can. Check it out HERE. You also might want to check out our sister site www.TrytoGarden.com.

SurvivalNations – Surviving a Disease Pandemic (Survival-Survival Planning Book 1) by Dr. Leland Benton

All survival situations have specific needs – and a pandemic brings certain risks and needs for survival. This book explains how pandemics spread. It also tells you what you need to do to protect yourself, as well as your family, in the event of a worldwide disease outbreak. You can get it HERE.

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Panic Buying, the Real Problem

When a hurricane is predicted to hit an area and be a fairly nasty one. When a pandemic hits and locals schools and churches are closed. When a blizzard is expected. That is when panic buying starts to be a key factor in why prepping for disaster is a way to go.

panic buying

Panic Buying, the Real Problem

Let’s look at the COVID-19 Pandemic as an example: panic buying at its best. While you can do a quick Twitter search for the hashtag #Panicbuying and see for yourself, there is a huge selection of photos and videos on shelf clearing, physical fights over things like toilet paper, and hoarders. While the memes make you chuckle for a moment, if you take a second to think, it is sad and scary.

Panic Buying Definition

Panic buying occurs when consumers buy unusually large amounts of a product in anticipation of, or after, a disaster or perceived disaster, or in anticipation of an incredibly large price increase or shortage.

Yup – that is certainly what happened when people realized COVID-19 was a more serious thing than they had originally thought.

Panic Buying Effects

It screws up the balance of supply & demand and then leads to a major disruption of the supply chain. You would then hit empty shelves, and possible price gouging as stores know they have what you absolutely need and will probably pay what they ask for.

Yup – we saw this. A lot of empty shelves, and then places like Walmart raising prices on everything from toilet paper to ground beef.

Panic Buying Jokes

Sometimes you simply need to laugh. We were all scared, there was so much that was unknown, and the information we were living by changed every day it seemed. Humor came to our rescue.

Here are a few of my favorite jokes:

Ran out of toilet paper and started using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, tomorrow romaines to be seen.

Yesterday I ran out of soap and body wash and all I could find was dish detergent. Then it Dawned on me.

How did the health experts lie? They said a mask and gloves was enough to go to the grocery store. When I got there, everyone else had clothes on.

What do you call panic-buying of sausage and cheese in Germany? The wurst-kase scenario.

The grocery stores in France look like tornadoes hit them. All that’s left is de brie.

Some of the first things to vanish

Toilet paper.

Not a square can be found on any shelf, in any store. With the COVID-19 being a respiratory illness, that was surprising and something most stores didn’t see coming. Everyone knew the handsoap, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes would vanish quickly, but the toilet paper was a stunner.

panic buying toilet paper

Medical supplies.

Think of what you need when you have the flu; things to help with an intake of fluids and rest. Gatorade, broth, juice, meds to help lower a fever, and Kleenex. These items were cleared out of stores quickly, along with any over-the-counter flu and cold medicines.

Meat.

People were grabbing multiple packs of ground beef and chicken. We saw one lady grab 12 packs of chicken! The poor guy in the meat department couldn’t get stuff on the shelves fast enough, people were taking it right out of his hands or out of the boxes he was pulling items from.

panic buying where stores limit amount of items to be purchased with signs

Canned Goods.

Spagettios, baked beans, and even soup seemed to vanish. Many stores started putting up signs that said “no more than 4 of each kind” to limit the hoarding and make sure everyone had enough to go around.

Bread.

Let’s face it, schools are out and sandwiches are the fast and easy fix for feeding the kiddos. Peanut butter and jelly are a quick go-to for most families, along with eggs and toast. White bread seemed to be the winner over wheat, vanishing faster than you could blink.

Panic Buying Costco

Even Costco was out of things like toilet paper – and soon put limits onto how much of certain items you were allowed to purchase. It took 8 months for the “limit of one” case of toilet paper signs to disappear.

So let’s make a list

Looking ahead, it pays to have an adequate stock of the things we already talked about. You can avoid the panic buying and fighting people at the stores to just pick up your weekly list. Granted, this makes a lot of sense to spread out over a period of time. It is easier on the pocketbook, for one thing.

  • Pain Reliever
  • Fever Reducer
  • Toilet Paper
  • Feminine Hygiene Items
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Disinfecting Wipes
  • Kleenex
  • Band-Aids
  • Rubbing Alcohol or Peroxide
  • Soap
  • Household cleaning supplies
  • Antacids
  • Canned Meat (easy to do yourself with ground beef and chicken!)
  • Canned Veggies
  • Canned Fruit
  • Canned Soups
  • Vegetable oil
  • Juice
  • Gatorade
  • Cereals
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Pasta
  • Pasta Sauces
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jelly
  • Dried Fruit
  • Nuts
  • Powdered Milk
  • Pet items
  • Candy
  • Supplies for Baking like: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, powdered sugar

There are a lot of other things to consider, and if you join our mailing list? You will get a 52-week stock up plan that helps you build your inventory with a minimal investment each week. You will be prepared for the next big emergency and not have to worry about panic buying. You can stay home with your toilet paper and lookup #panicbuying on Twitter and enjoy and chuckle at the memes and craziness.

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panic buying costco

10 Ways To Prep For Summer Storms

It seems strange to be talking about how to prep for summer storms when it is currently the middle of winter. (sigh) But that is what preppers do – plan ahead! Summer storm season has shown up this year with a vengeance. With flooding in Texas, tornados in Oklahoma, and more, this year is shaping up to be a monster season.

A Bolt of Lightning Strikes in a Stormy Desert Night

While we can’t really help what the weather does (or really predict it past more than a few days), there are a few things we can do to protect ourselves and our families for when those strong storms come knocking. These 10 ways to prep for summer storms are just a few ideas that you may want to consider.

10 Ways to Prep for Summer Storms

Food storage

Did you know that the average American family keeps a food supply of 3 days or less in their fridge, freezer, and cabinets? If the power is knocked out at your home for longer, what would happen?

You would quickly run out of food. To prepare for that possibility, make sure you have at least a 2 week supply on hand.

Do you have to stock up on those survivalist freeze-dried MREs? No, you can find a lot of very suitable things in your local grocery store.

What kind of food? Think about ready-to-eat meals that only need to be heated up – like canned ravioli, chili, Spam, etc. Even canned condensed soups are a good bet.

Water

Back in 2008, when the State of Wisconsin flooded, there were multiple cities that lost their water supply to contamination. In an emergency, water is one of the very first items to disappear.

Instead of having to scramble to find some for your family, store it now before you need it. Ideally, you’ll want to store 1 gallon, per person, per day, and extra for each pet that you have.

Light

Power outages are no fun for anyone so be sure that you keep flashlights, a supply of batteries, candles, and matches on hand. If you’ve got small kids, you may want to consider flameless LED candles, just be sure to stock extra batteries if you’re going to use them.

Prep for Summer Storms with Batteries

Speaking of batteries? Flashlights and LED Candles aren’t the only things that take them. Make sure you have extras just in case you need them.

My big tip? Black Friday is when Menard’s has had a fantastic deal on both AA and AAA batteries – we always stock up and for literal pennies when compared to the rest of the year.

Do NOT get these at the local Dollar Store. I know it is tempting but they seriously don’t have that great a shelf life. It would really suck to need them and realize that they were dead.

Grab and Go

As little as we want to think about it, there are some situations where it’s best to not stay in your home. Flooding, fire from a lightning strike, roof leaks, and more. To prepare for this, be sure you have a Bug Out Bag for each family member that is packed and ready.

Gasoline

Keeping a few extra gallons of gas on hand serves two purposes. One, if you have a generator, you can use the gas to fuel it in the event that your power is out.

Two, it can also be used in your car to evacuate if needed. If you’re going to be storing it for a while, be sure to add a bottle of Stabil to it to keep it from going bad.

Emergency Radio

If the power goes out, you’ll still need to be able to keep up with the weather and any alerts. Picking up a NOAA Weather Radio will help you do that. Y

ou can find them as cheap as $13 on Amazon. Be sure you spend some time picking yours out because you can find them with a ton of different features.

This weather radio is our favorite as it a hand crank but also has a solar charge option. It is great for charging your phone too! It boasts these features:

  • NOAA weather radio with 7 NOAA channels to get the latest weather and hazard information
  • The hand crank radio flashlight cell phone charger with a 4000 mAh li-ion battery, which charges more than one smartphone in the emergency
  • 4 Ways( Micro USB charge, Solar charge; Hand crank; Replaceable li-ion battery; ) to keep the hand crank generator on power
  • The electricity label will notice you clearly the electricity of the emergency radio
  • The flashlight radio with a super-bright 3 mode flashlight for any dark places you are in
  • Motion sensor reading lamp for you to get up in the mid-night to avoid waking your family

Prep for Summer Storms with Plywood

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you may want to consider keeping some plywood on hand to cover windows with. While it may not fully prevent damage, it will help some. You’ll also need nails or staples and a hammer to make sure you can hang the sheets.

You may also want to look at the window film that secures against breakage.

Fire safe lockbox

Having a lockbox is a must to protect your important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, and any custody papers. Having them in a fire-safe box as well is just a second precaution.

Insure me

Do you have renters or homeowners insurance? Storm damage is usually considered an “act of God” for insurance purposes which means that they will cover it. Flood insurance is not provided through an insurance company but through the federal government.

Both are typically very affordable and if by some tragedy, you would lose everything in a storm, your home and possessions are covered. On the same note, we never know what is going to happen and there have been many people killed by storms.

Make sure that you have proper life insurance as well. The last thing any of us want is to leave our family behind with no way to pay for debts or take care of themselves.

Other posts you may enjoy once you Prep For Summer Storms:

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