Vital Knowledge to Survive a Natural Disaster:
For most families, aside from an economic strain, natural disasters are the most common form of emergency they will need to prepare for. More importantly, this is a geographical concern if you and your family live in an area that is more or less prone to these occurrences.
There are different types of natural disasters and the frequency with which you may be threatened by them. They also occur at different times of the year, so you may have months where there is no possibility followed by a month of frequent situations.
The preparations you need to make for natural disasters include assessing your risk, taking preventative measures to protect your property and your lives, and knowing what to do during and after it occurs.
You may be dealing with different types of aftermath scenarios, which range from hidden dangers such as downed electrical wires to chaos in society where looting is prevalent.
The most common forms of natural disasters that you want to prepare for include tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. Of course, there are less frequent disasters that can happen, too such as a volcanic eruption, tsunami, or even a solar flare.
Make Preparations Based on Your Risk Assessment
You don’t want to be wasting your survival resources on preparations for things that probably won’t occur in your area. So, the first step is to conduct a proper risk assessment not only based on your geographic location, but also your current property, supplies and skills.
Some of them will be obvious, such as if you live in tornado alley or on the coast where hurricanes are likely. You also want to assess your property slant and location near water sources.
Is it in a location where enough rain could create a flood situation? Are you near a forest where dry conditions could prove hazardous in a wildfire? Are you located near a volcano, or on a fault line where an earthquake might prove devastating?
Not only do you need to be looking at your own property, but you need to be looking at the preparedness of your community and government officials. Will they be able to handle a large-scale natural disaster in your area?
More often than not the brutally honest answer to the last question will be – NO!
If you live in the countryside and your neighbors are all homesteaders and farmers your community may be better prepared, but quite a distance away from you. Relying on Government assistance is never a god idea, a lot can go wrong when bureaucrats try and plan for something they have very little first-hand experience off. So, you best do your preparations as if no-one will come to save you or assist for quite some time, that way you don’t have to rely on anyone else initially.
You want to stock up on vital supplies that would be good for your particular situation. In addition, having a weather radio so that you know where any immediate threats are in relation to your location would be necessary.
You have to think about whether or not the electricity will shut down, whether you will be operating in a situation where your vision is limited, such as smoky conditions, and the possibility that your water may be contaminated.
Not only do you need supplies to get you through the disaster, whether it’s a flashlight or food and water supplies, but you also want to have some way to communicate with rescue teams in case you are trapped and need their assistance.
Preparing for and Enduring Specific Natural Disasters
You want to think about whether or not you will need to evacuate or shelter in place. This is an important part of your survival, and you don’t want to put any of your family members at risk having them try to go to another location if it’s more dangerous to go elsewhere than to stay put.
If you are in the middle of a natural disaster, make sure you ration the supplies that you have so that you don’t go through them too fast before you can get to a safe place. While taking into account the needs of each member of your family, don’t forget about your pets and having the ability to get them to safety in a pet carrier along with their food necessities, too.
Earthquake preparation is really about knowing what to do when the disaster is taking place. You don’t want to be in a fragile structure, so you need to know when to evacuate a building or simply take cover and shield yourself from any debris.
You might want to have an expert come out and do an analysis of your property to see if the building you live in is capable of withstanding seismic activity. If you are in a flood area, you’re going to have to judge your evacuation measures based on how much and how fast the water could be rising.
You don’t want to wait until it gets too late for you to leave your location. Ahead of time, you can set up water barriers to protect your property from getting flooded. These can include sandbags and other inflatable products, which can help manage minor flooding.
You never want to drive through a flooded area, even if it’s just a few inches high, because you can be swept away and trapped. If you’re in a hurricane situation, you’ll have advanced notice about whether or not it’s going to hit your area, so you can evacuate in plenty of time.
But you may want to board up your home and protect any important documents and belongings in case your property is not capable of withstanding severe hurricane levels. If you are in a tornado zone, you probably know to go in the smallest room without windows on the lowest level of your home possible. But if you can afford to invest in a small tornado shelter, which can be the size of a closet, this will be a good way to withstand any tornado activity.
If you happen to be outside during a tornado, such as driving home, get in a ditch and lie flat.
Wildfires are a natural disaster that can turn threatening in an instant, even if they are initially seemingly headed the other way.
You can take protective measures for your property by creating fire breaks and clearing the land so that it is less flammable. Some people like to water down their home before leaving, but don’t leave too late so that you put your family at risk.
Volcanoes and tsunamis also give plenty of advanced warning in most cases, with scientists being able to offer warnings and predictions about when these will occur. Hopefully, you will have time to evacuate, but if not, quickly put as much distance between you and the ensuing disaster as possible.
Have gas masks for volcanic situations that fit each member of the family and protect them from falling ash.
A solar flare may not hurt you personally, but you will likely be without power, so protect your electronic gadgets with a Faraday cage.
Building Your Community Network for Support
When you’re thinking about preparing for natural disasters, it’s easy to focus just on yourself and your family. But have you considered the strength of your community network? Imagine if, when everything goes dark and normalcy fades, you have a group of neighbors and community members ready to join forces. These are people you can pool resources with, share skills, and lean on for support. Start by introducing yourself to your neighbors.
Maybe even organize a community gathering or set up a neighborhood watch program. Think about shared resources like generators or tools. Does everyone in your vicinity know basic first aid? Remember, when times get tough, having a tight-knit community can be your biggest asset. Make sure you avoid disclosing that you are survival-prepper, otherwise everyone comes to you as soon as their supplies run out.
Digital Preparation: Safeguarding Your Important Data
You’ve probably packed physical supplies, but what about your digital belongings? In our tech-driven world, how are you ensuring that your essential digital files are safe? Documents like birth certificates, property deeds, or even cherished family photos are priceless. It’s a good idea to back up these vital documents on a secure external hard drive that you can quickly grab and take along with you. Also, make sure you have digital copies of emergency contacts, insurance policies, and any other important information.
Don’t forget, if the power goes out, you’ll need a way to charge your devices. Consider investing in a portable solar charger. And – as mentioned before – prepare for solar flares and have a Faraday cage or box prepared to store your hard drive, phone or laptop in to avoid having your electronic devices rendered completely useless.
Mental Health: Bracing Yourself for the Emotional Impact
Surviving a natural disaster isn’t just a physical challenge; it can hit you hard emotionally too. Are you prepared for the emotional toll it might take? Understand that feeling stressed or traumatized is a natural response to these extraordinary circumstances. To prepare, create a go-to list of mental health resources, like therapists or helplines, who specialize in trauma. Familiarize yourself with simple stress-relieving techniques—maybe it’s deep breathing, meditation, or just talking it out. Learn and practice Self-EMDR, Tapping and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to help deal with the stress and trauma of a disaster – everyone can learn this easy treatment to help deal with mental stress.
Encourage open conversations within your family, making sure everyone, especially the kids, feels heard and understood. And if things get really tough afterward, remember there are community support groups and trauma recovery programs out there ready to help. Because bouncing back from a disaster isn’t just about rebuilding your home, it’s about taking care of your mind and heart too.
Navigating the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
The aftermath is when it might still be treacherous, and you’ll have to deal with the fallout of the disaster. You may be operating in an emotional state – because it can be devastating seeing a loss of your home or even finding out about the loss of life that resulted from it.
You want to have your plan set aside ahead of time so you can go through the motions without having to think about what to do next. First, evaluate the state of your property and the health of your loved ones.
It may not be safe to return home if it poses a risk. Have the numbers on hand to contact agencies like FEMA or Red Cross and any local community agencies that are set up to assist in the aftermath of an event like this.
You may have to make a decision about rebuilding and staying in the same place or relocating to a safer property. If you stay put and rebuild, you’ll want to have knowledge about materials and supplies that can offer future protection.
When things have settled, evaluate what occurred and how your reaction and supplies held up. Make any tweaks for future natural disasters to help you in the event another one occurs – and run through practice drills to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Got all that? Then its time to go to the next article in our series – Part 13 – The Importance of Clothing Selections for Survival
If you missed the previous article you can click on the link and read it here: Part 11 – Why You Need to Learn How to Apply First Aid