Are You Ready for Disaster?
Peak hurricane season ranges from around mid-August to late October. Along with being prepared for hurricanes, it’s vital for everyone, especially seniors living on their own, to be well-prepared for any and all natural disasters or emergencies. After all, it’s a proven fact that weather patterns have become increasingly erratic. Consequently, it’s become that much more important to be prepared for whatever mother nature might throw at you. Read on to learn how to prepare your home for any natural disaster that might occur:
Before a Natural Disaster Occurs: General Preparedness Tips in Part From FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) put together the following preparedness tips to ensure you are ready to ride out any natural disaster that comes your way:
- Sign up for any local warnings and alerts for your area. This will ensure you know what weather-related problems are expected and can evacuate if necessary. Make sure to follow all evacuation suggestions and orders to ensure you stay safe. Local information will also explain where you can go if you need to evacuate.
- Ensure your weather radio has working batteries and have extra on hand just in case.
- Make sure you are up to date on any and all information about the coming disaster. Then stay up to date after any weather-related disaster occurs.
- Contact your family and let them know your plans. If a natural disaster is predicted for your area, create a plan of action, then tell someone else. For example, call your adult kids, relatives in another state, friends, etc. Let them know if you plan to ride the storm out, or if you plan on evacuating and if so, where you plan on going.
- Have a supply of water and flashlights on hand with batteries. Protect your important papers and photos by putting them in waterproof storage, just in case. Make sure you have supplies on hand to fix yourself food, even if you are without power.
- Get to know your neighbors. Before disaster strikes, it’s important to get to know your neighbors. After a natural disaster occurs, these people will be your best source of help. Get to know them before an emergency occurs and then check on them after one takes place.
- Get a ready supply of vital supplies. Know that a natural disaster might keep you from getting to the drugstore. Therefore, it’s important to get all your medications filled and ready. It also is important to have some medical supplies on hand in case you are injured during the event. If you use medical equipment that requires electricity to work, prepare a way to operate your equipment without it. Ask your doctor for suggestions. You might need to purchase a small generator or make some other type of arrangement. Make sure you have necessary resources on hand to run any generator as well.
After The Disaster
- Contact your family and friends as soon as possible once a natural disaster is over. Let them know you are okay and where you are staying if it’s not in your home. This will ensure any emergency professionals trying to coordinate rescues aren’t distracted by family members and friends being asked to check on their loved ones, such as yourself.
Keep the emergency preparedness tips in mind to ensure you are well-prepared to ride out any natural disaster.
Sources:
https://www.fema.gov/
