We could get a taste of being vulnerable, when our area is affected by storm, flood or earthquake. When the power went out and the strong winds came, we can’t help to feel rather apprehensive about the situation. When the Mother Nature decides to pay a visit, we should be properly prepared. Homeowners should have proper preparations and they can be overlooked during busy times. Disasters may disrupt our daily lives and when the transformers blow due to natural interferences, we may not have power for a few days. Wind can be blamed for roof damage and lightning could cause fire to spread in nearby bush.
Here are things that we should prepare:
- Install battery powered lights: This should be a simple home improvement project. We could determine where these lights should be located. As an example, these lamps could be positioned in front of the mirror to light up the whole room. Battery powered lighting should be much safer than candles, including for children that may use them in their rooms. However, just to be safe, we should still have patio lighter, matches and some candles in our disaster kit. There should also be enough spare batteries for our lighting.
- Install crank powered emergency radio: We shouldn’t rely on battery for everything. Crank powered emergency radio can be used when we want to save batteries for other purposes. For a few minutes of conversations, the radio should require a few quick turns and it should be available at Radio Shack. Radio could perform well when it has properly positioned antenna. This will require some home improvement skills, because we may need to adopt some changes in the house.
- Put first aid kit containers: These containers should be made from water and fireproof containers. They can be placed in different areas of our house. During a disaster, a first aid kit could prevent injuries from becoming serious.
- Prepare areas for bottled water: In this case, there could be spaces that can be utilized for bottled water storage. Four up to five days of usages, we would need to prepare space for 20 gallons of water for washing and utility use and 4 gallons of water for drinking and cooking.
- Prepare emergency foods: MREs are probably the best option during emergency and they can last for a few years. MREs are available in eBay and local stores. We may also choose foods in the grocery stores that can last for two years. In this case, we need to start consuming and replacing the food when the expiration date is just 6 months away.
- Prepare extra apparel: There should be four days worth of clothing inside the container. They should include rain gear and overalls. If winter is particularly cold in our areas, it is important to prepare thick clothes as well. Clothing container should be properly sealed against air and water to prevent mold from growing. Vacuum bags should be appropriate for this purpose.
- Prepare tools: We should have a proper collection of equipments and they can be useful during an emergency. There are comprehensive tool kits available for about $100. Power-driven tools should use batteries, instead of normal electricity.
