Create a Disaster Preparedness Plan

You never really know what could happen when a major earthquake or a Category 5 storm would strike your area but a proper disaster preparedness plan would help you and your family cope with these calamities accordingly. While it's difficult to guess how each member of your family would react in the face of scary disasters, the fact that you are armed with the right resources and information should make a whole lot of difference. You only need one clear mind to lead everyone and remind them of what they need to do, after all.

Why prepare?

Knowing how to anticipate the unknown helps ease fear and anxiety. When every member of your household knows that you have a disaster preparedness plan they would feel more assured that everything is going to be alright even when the hurricane appears to be blowing everything around them apart. Being well-prepared can also minimize the impact of these disasters. For instance, elevating the home or addressing flooding issues can reduce the damage that hurricanes may cause on your place.

While there are government rescue teams who are always on stand-by to provide assistance, they can only do so much. You need to help yourself as well. A disaster preparedness plan allows you to take care of your household to make the job easier for the rescue personnel. This translates to more people being saved and everyone evacuated in designated sites in a more organized manner.

What is covered?

A disaster preparedness plan covers everything that needs to be done before, during and after a disaster strikes. For starters, you need to identify warning signs, risks and danger signals that will allow you to foretell an impending calamity. You will also want to build your disaster kit so you can easily survive on your own until help is available. During the disaster, you need to put the plan into action. Having a working plan will also allow you time to help other people out and guide those who are in charge of the rescue operations.

Your plan should also consist of guidelines for repairing any damages that the disaster inflicted. These are efforts that will allow you to prevent or at least minimize further losses.

Anticipating the possibilities

The type of disasters that may strike vary from one place to another. For natural calamities, these are dependent on your geographical location. For instance, if you live in an area located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, expect to experience a lot of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. If you live near tropical cyclone basins then hurricanes will probably be paying your home a visit several times within the year. Understanding the possibilities help you anticipate them and prepare for them accordingly.

You will also want to identify your community's warning signals in cases of disasters. These are alarms that go off each time the area is about to face a calamity. You need to formulate a disaster plan so you react properly when you hear these alarms.

Plan with your family

A disaster plan should be made with the family or the company where you are employed. You want to meet the members of your household so you can agree on several different details including the responsibilities that each one has in case a disaster does strike. You will want to explain to your children the potential dangers that they may encounter. In case they get separated from the group, you will want to agree on at least two places where you can meet. Make sure that every member knows the address and phone numbers for these places.

Assemble your survival kit

One part of formulating the disaster plan is putting your survival kit together. Everyone has to know where the kit is located so that in case you become indisposed or incapable of getting it yourself, someone else can pick it up for you. When building your survival kit, it's important that you factor in the specific needs of each of your family members. For instance, those who are suffering from certain health conditions will have to have a stock of prescription medications available.

Conclusion

Life would have been so much easier if disasters followed a certain schedules so we can easily anticipate the extent of the damage they inflict. But such is not the case and disasters can strike anytime and usually when you least expect them. As such, you want to be prepared with a proper disaster plan so you can easily cope with any calamity that may strike your area. Planning helps you anticipate the unknown and enables your family to react accordingly so that damage and injuries are minimized.

Learn more about how to be prepared for the unknown here at 1800 PREPARE. We offer helpful tips and information on how to cope with any type of disaster. We also have a wide inventory of emergency supplies on-site. Contact us through this website to learn more.