With the weather like it is lately, we all need to think about ways to prepare in case a disaster strikes your home. A few months ago my city was hit by a vicious tornado. Killing several people and putting many people out of a home and a job. A lot of business's were destroyed making it difficult to purchase the basic things we needed to get. Bottom line is: we were not prepared. Fortunately, the tornado hopped over our neighborhood, and all was OK at our home, this time.
After that experience, my wife and I sat down and thought of some ways we could prepare better if yet another disaster should strike.
We came to some conclusions. First and foremost, we did not have renters insurance. It had never crossed our minds. We did some research and got some quotes, and we could not believe how cheap it was for $45,000 worth of insurance; $22 a month is all it was. Our home could have been destroyed with all of our belongings in it and we would have not been able to replace anything. If you rent or even own a home, make sure that you have insurance. It is not as much as you think it is.
Next time you visit the thrift store, go to the home section and find some blankets. Make sure you have a large supply of extra blankets. Purchase a large plastic bin container to store them in, leaving a few out for when the disaster is actually happening. Most homes have a crawl space, so if you do, put your box of blankets in the space. If you don't have a crawl space find a safe place for you to store this container.
Anytime you have an extra $50-$75, go to your local dollar store and stock up on some canned goods and non-perishable food. You will want to buy a few cases of bottled water as well. Purchase a large trash can with a lid that locks (to keep out rodents and bugs) and place the food and water in it. Put this trash can in the same place you put your box of blankets. This way, if a disaster hits you will have the food you need to survive.
Have a first aid kit hidden in your trash can as well. Just in case there are some minor injuries that need attention right away. Sometimes ambulances can't get to you right away during a disaster, if it is not a life threatening injury.
Make sure that you have at least one extra set of clothes for each member of your household. Get extra toiletries, like toothbrushes, paste, toilet paper, feminine products, baby diapers. Just like the rest of the supplies put them in your trash can in your crawl space.
Go over a plan with your family about what you will do if a disaster hits. Whether it be hiding in the bathroom or a closet, or getting in a doorway, make sure your entire family knows were they need to go when those disaster alarms go off. Have a drill, like we did in school and make sure perfects it. If there is another tornado in our area, my wife and I have shown our children to grab their pillow and blanket off their bed and go get into the bath tub. Dad will get one of the kids mattress's and cover the tub with it, in case the roof collapses in we are safe. Mom will grab a small bag of food, water and diapers for the duration.
You will also need to have a list of emergency contact numbers. For example family members and disaster relief programs.
All these tips will allow you to be prepared for a disaster if it ever occurs. There is nothing more scary than thinking you may not have anything if you home is destroyed. Take these tips and use them to your fullest advantage. You will be happy you are so prepared. We don't know what the future holds for us, so don't take what you have for granted. Seeing your city be leveled by a killer tornado surly puts things into perspective. Don't be one of the unlucky who lose everything and have nothing left.
