1. Well the first thing in our prepared list is emergency provisions. Think of weathering a disaster as a little like camping out in your own home, where electricity and water have been cut off. Store in a closet or other convenient location.
- Food that can be eaten with little or no preparation such as peanut butter, whole grain crackers, baby food, powdered milk and cold cereals.
- Several gallons of water, which you can buy in bottles at a supermarket.
- Food and water for your pets if you have one.
- Food and water for your pets if you have one.
- A first aid kit that contains not just the standard items such as bandages and iodine, but also scissors, needles and thread and several days’ supply of whatever medication you’re currently taking. You can buy kits in any drugs store.
- Flashlights with batteries stored separately so they’ll stay fresh.
- Have extra cash I a safe place if electricity goes out, banks and Automatic Tellers Machines will not be working.
- Have an extra pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
- Have a ladder and basic tools, including a crowbar, screwdriver, saw and hammer.
- Keep a full or nearly a full tank of gas in your car. The last thing you want see is an empty gas gauge when in an emergency.
- Keep a copy of your insurance policy and the phone number of agent.
- Also keep your attorney’s name and number.
- A list of health problems, medication and doctor number is important to care.
- The location of safe deposit box and extra key is a good idea to keep.
- Also keep banking information, such as certificates of deposit and checking account numbers.
3. Third in our do list is disaster training. First aid training does more than let you helped the injured. It also builds up a sense of confidence that can be vital in getting you through a disaster many hospitals offer first aid.
- Install smoke alarms or sprinklers. Many insurance companies lower their rates on homes with sprinklers.
- Store towels, water and rope ladder under your bed. In case of fire you can often buy a lot escape time by soaking towels in water and stuffing them under doors to block incoming smoke.
- Keep fire extinguishers in appropriate places around the house.
- Sleep with doors close.
- Plan an evacuation procedure, and practice it periodically, just as you’d go through a fire drill. Beware of items that can be hazardous in a disaster.
- Know where your power lines are in case that they have fallen.
- Know about your water pipes, electricity lines and gas mains in your home. Know how to shut them off in case of an emergency if you don’t know ask you local utility companies.
4. Next in our list is organizing a neighborhood disaster committee whose members can come to each other’s aid in the event of an emergency. Working as a team, neighbors can often save a home.
5. Last in our list is to have the right insurance. Few events are more disheartening than surviving a disaster only to discover that insurance won’t cover your property loss. To avoid problem buy a homeowner’s policy that covers the replacement of your home and contents. Many policy cover only current value. That means if a Regency chair is destroyed in a fire, insurance pays only the current value of a chair, not the replacement value of the antique.
Choose an insurance policy that pays your living expenses for an adequate period of time for putting your house back in living condition.
To document the value of your home and its contents, keep all receipts for items you buy. Then photograph or video tape your possessions, or consider hiring a professional appraiser to put a price on items for which you don’t have receipts. I hope all these points will help us survive in case of a natural disaster.
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