Being a good homemaker means always being prepared, and this includes disaster preparedness.
These last few years have been a doozy. And being prepared, even for a disaster, is important. It is a lesson I learned the hard way during the 2017 hurricane season.
Disaster Preparedness
And being honest between the: pandemic, riots and burning cities, other civil unrest, people panic buying, the climate of politics, ice storms, heat waves, attacks on infrastructure, hurricane season, droughts, and supply chain disruptions….there is a lot to worry about.
I’m sure some of y’all are rolling your eyes, but let’s be honest, these last couple of years have been an absolute hot mess. And as someone who wasn’t prepared, a couple times, and my family suffered, well it wasn’t fun.
I honestly felt like a bit of a failure not being able to take care of my family. I had things on hand for a couple days, but it turns out, sometimes disasters can linger…for weeks. You’d think I would have learned growing up in tornado alley and dealing with blizzards as a kid
But when you’re a kid you don’t quite have a grasp on how serious everything is and how long disasters really are, even when you’re uprooted.
Things You Need In Your Disaster Preparedness Kit
Boy, did I learn as an adult though. So after a hurricane, ice storm, and not having stuff due to people panic buying, I’ve learned that I need to be better prepared for my family. I’m the one responsible for my home and so it is up to me to make sure we have everything we need.
So, what kinds of things do you need?
- Water- 1 gallon per person for at LEAST 3 days.
- Food- Non-perishable for at LEAST 3 days.
- Medical Supplies- First aid kit
- Medication- over the counter and prescribed
- Light Sources- LED candles, real candles, flashlights, lanterns
- Batteries- double check what you need for all your devices, radios, and light sources
- Radio- a weather radio that takes batteries or a crank on is great
- Portable Chargers- for cell phones and tablets
- Multipurpose tool- like a swiss army knife
- Can Opener
- Emergency contact list
- Extra Cash
- Feminine Supplies
- Cleaning Supplies
- Pet and/or Baby supplies if this applies
- Map of the area
- Tools
- Important documents gathered
- Bible
- Games
- Books
- Matches/Lighter
- A Life Straw
**Optional: I always have a cooking source. I really like camping stoves.
The Ultimate Disaster Preparedness Kit
While I think this is a good start, I think we need to be a little more prepared than this. 3 days is great, but as I said before, things can be bad for a lot longer than that, especially with the chaotic and rapidly declining state of things.
I suggest preparing for at least a week or two, or if you’re able a couple of months. Sounds crazy? Maybe, but people went without things they needed during the pandemic, during disasters, and being prepared for long term not only ensures your family is taken care of, but you can take care of others who are in need.
We need to be able to look out for us, yes, but our neighbors too.
What I’ve Personally Done To Prepare
So here are some things I’ve done specifically for my family.
Canned food is great, but as delicious as spaghettio’s are, you still need fruits and vegetables. Make sure your family is getting the nutrition they need, it will help stave off illness which is a real threat when disaster strikes.
Beans, rice, and lentils are your friend. But remember that you have to have a way to cook them and they require water. Lentils cook faster than beans. They also have packaged beans and rice as well which are good.
Canned tuna, chicken, spam, and even packages of them are great protein.
Have some kind of sweets available. Sweets can make the worst situations seem a little better.
Make sure you have a way to get electrolytes. Whether it is bottles of propel, Gatorade, coconut water, or a powder to add to your drinks.
Going Beyond Store Bought First Aid Kits
Regular first aid kits are fine, but you need to build on it. For a decent injury you could EASILY go through those band aids and gauze quickly. You always need more. Other things I would suggest is:
- A tourniquet
- Extra gauze
- Transpore tape
- Extra bandages
- Salve
- Vaseline
- UTI medication
- Vitamins
- Herbs
Now, some of that may seem extreme, but you never know what can happen in an emergency, and believe it or not, we’ve had to use some of the more “hardcore” medical supplies before. I would also suggest learning the basics of first aid.
The internet is our friend and is way more than politics and cat videos.
The Patriot Nurse on Youtube is a great source of information when it comes to this and actually has an in-person and online course, which I recommend. She is a bit abrasive, but the information she provides is invaluable.
Cleanliness Can Save Your Life
Stay as you can and clean up your messes during an emergency. Why? Filth can breed illness and infection and if you’re in a situation where you have very little supplies to deal with the issue at hand and can’t make it to the hospital, friend, all you can do is pray and hope for the best.
Cleaning supplies you should have are:
- Wipes
- Bleach
- Dish Soap
- Sponges/Rags
- Bucket
- Gloves
- Trash Bags
- Mask
- Scrub Brush
- Bar Laundry Soap
- Clothes Pins
- Hangers
- Household Cleaner
- Disinfectant Spray
More Disaster Preparedness Tips
What I’m sharing with you is the bare bones of being ready whether you’re dealing with a hurricane, tornado, civil unrest, etc. Research will always be your friend, but the biggest tip is, don’t do this in fear.
Use a logical mind to plan for your family’s needs without going overboard and without buying useless and frivolous things.
Another tip…make sure you’re rotating your disaster supplies that way you’re using things before they go bad, and replacing them.
Another thing I learned is paper plates and plastic utensils are your best friend when you have no power.
Most importantly, always have a plan.
