Since we can't plan for when an emergency will occur, it's best to practice good emergency preparedness now so you're always ready.
There are many ways to practice smart disaster preparedness and be ready for any emergency situation. You can make emergency plans, save up an emergency savings account, plan evacuation routes, and pack handy emergency preparedness kits in your home or on the go. You can even get your community involved and get prepared together.
Start your emergency preparedness journey by packing the essential emergency kits you need in any situation.
72-hour emergency kits can also be referred to as bug out bags, go-bags, or emergency bags. They are kits that you pack now and have ready in case of an emergency.
A 72-hour kit is meant to help you survive for at least 3 days. Think of it like packing for a 3-day sleepover in the wilderness. With this mentality, you'll be able to pack your 72-hour kit with everything you could ever need in case of disaster.
By having a fully stocked pantry and food storage, you can be ready for anything. If there is a stay-at-home order you can easily oblige. If you get snowed in or if there's a long storm you can comfortably wait it out in your house.
By learning to keep a stocked pantry you can also save money in the long term by buying groceries in bulk and cooking healthier, cheaper, homemade meals.
Make sure you keep all your food storage in airtight containers and store them in a safe, dry place. You should also be constantly cycling through your food storage so that your food storage items stay up to date.
You need to have a roadside emergency kit in your car at all times. A car emergency kit can help you if your car breaks down, if you get stranded somewhere, if you get into an accident, or if you get caught in dangerous weather conditions.
Prepare for any medical emergency. This includes burns, cuts, scrapes, bug bites and stings, splinters, sprains, pulled muscles, dislocated joints, and broken bones.
You also want to be prepared for illnesses like fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal congestion, coughing, sore throats, pain, rashes, and allergies.
Keep your medicine cabinet and a medical kit you can quickly take on the go stocked with the basics. Don't forget to keep an emergency contact list and important medical information on a sheet of paper in your emergency medical kit.
You and your family should sit down together to form and practice an emergency evacuation plan. You might need to evacuate in case of a fire, flood, or other natural disaster.
Get some bags and pack "go bags," "bug out bags," or 72 hour kits. These are bags that can be easily taken quickly on the go and contain essentials like a stocked first aid kit, survival food, a food supply, clothes, and anything else you might need if you have to leave suddenly. Pack one bag per person in the household and keep the bags somewhere easily accessible.
Then each household member should make a list of everything they would grab and pack into their go-bag at short notice. Keep this list somewhere you can easily find and refer to in case of a sudden emergency or keep it inside the go-bag.
If you have small children, you'll also want to pack any important comfort items they might have.
If you have pets, you'll want to pack their essentials like their harness, leash, a carrier, a toy, water, their pet food, and any medicines they might need.
Make a master list of all your assets and valuables to create a master inventory of everything in your home. This way, if something happens to your house, you can easily work with your insurance to replace those lost items.
Once you have your items in order and your emergency bags ready to go, create a step by step plan for what everyone in the house will do in case of an emergency.
Then post your step by step emergency plan somewhere everyone can see it, like in the kitchen. It's also a good idea to practice the evacuation plan every now and then.
Certain family members might have specific emergency job assignments. For example, one family might be in charge of getting a younger sibling ready to go while another family member might be in charge of getting the dog, cat, or pet fish ready to go.
Natural disasters aren’t the only type of emergency you’ll run into in life. More commonly, you’ll run into financial emergencies where you need funds quickly to stay on top of payments, bills, and essential purchases.
A good emergency fund will have at least 3-months worth of money saved up. This includes all the expenses you need in a 3-month time span like rent, bills, and groceries. Start your emergency fund by working up to building a 3-month money supply in a secure account or place. Then continue to grow your emergency fund from there.
At Check City, you can get a number of emergency loans to get money quickly for your short-term emergency financial needs. Check City offers several types of loans to help you when you're in a pinch.
Some of the worst kinds of emergencies are completely out of our control and are caused by natural disasters. Prepare yourself and your household for the worst, especially if you live in an earthquake, hurricane, or tornado prone area.
Earthquakes aren't common everywhere, but if you live where earthquakes are common, you should be prepared. There are ways you can prepare for during the earthquake and afterward as well.
Create a survival kit for your family that can last you at least 72 hours in case of a hurricane or storm. The food you pack in a hurricane survival kit needs to be able to last you at least 3 days. You also want this food to be non-perishable and not require preparation, heating, or refrigerating in case the power goes out and you're stuck in your house.
Have a designated tornado shelter set in place for you and your family to use in case of a tornado. A good tornado shelter is usually in a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room in the house that doesn't have windows like a closet or bathroom.
Teach everyone in the household what to do in case of a tornado and where they should go for shelter. Practice running tornado drills so everyone is sure they know what to do.
Being prepared for emergencies helps give you peace of mind now and makes hard situations a lot easier on you later. And don't forget to prepare for financial emergencies too! Prepare for any financial emergency by creating and maintaining a healthy emergency fund.
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