Bracing Yourself For the Worst: What to Do in an Emergency

No matter where in the country you live, you might be affected by an emergency. You might face specific hazards, such as mudslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards or forest fires. Or you might experience flooding, which can happen anywhere at all. Depending on the type of emergency that presents itself, you might be better off staying home or you might need to evacuate. Knowing what to do ahead of time is of great importance when it comes to dealing with an emergency. Here are some tips to help you prepare, even if you don’t think it’s likely that you have anything to worry about; just having a plan can give you peace of mind, should the worst happen:

• Prepare an emergency kit with enough supplies for three days
  Even a relatively small emergency, such as a problem at the local water treatment facility, can really throw a wrench in your plans if you’re not prepared. Stock up on enough water and food to last your family for three days. Count on one gallon of water per person (or more if anyone in your family is pregnant or nursing) and make sure that the food is non perishable and can be prepared without electricity. Try to focus on filling foods, but since you will only be stocking up on three days’ worth, you don’t have to worry excessively about nutrition, unless someone in your family is on a restricted or specific diet for health reasons. Keep a spare can of baby formula and jars of baby foods in your emergency kit if you have an infant. Make sure that you always have at least three days’ worth of necessary medications, as well; don’t wait until the very last day to refill life-sustaining prescriptions!

• Have batteries on hand and listen to the radio
  While you will be able to use your smartphone to access websites as long as you can keep it charged (and as long as you are able to access a signal), it’s a good plan to be able to turn on a battery-operated radio as well. This way, you can listen to a local radio station and find out what your next step should be. Of course, you’ll also want to have batteries handy for flashlights if the power is out.

• Keep the car’s gas tank half full
  This is a habit that is worth developing! When your car’s gas gauge gets to the halfway point, this is when you should fill up. Letting it get down to empty, as many people do, can put you in the position of not having any gas when you suddenly have to evacuate. This simple step won’t cost you any more money, but it can save you precious minutes in the case of an emergency.

• Don’t forget about your pets
  If you do need to evacuate, it will be helpful to know where you can go that you can bring your cat or dog. Bring along food, water and your pet’s rabies certificate, along with vaccine records. It’s best to keep this documentation in one place so that you can grab it quickly. Some shelters and most veterinarians’ offices won’t let you board your pet without proof of immunization, so this can save a lot of headache.

• Put together an emergency binder
  A simple binder filled with telephone numbers, birth certificates, children’s (and pets’) vaccine records, a list of medications that anyone is on and allergies that anyone has, as well as a recent family photo and other necessary documentation is easy to put together. It can also make life easier if there is an emergency, as you’ll be able to replace any lost documents once the crisis has passed, as well as have vital medical information at your fingertips.

No one wants to have to worry about an emergency. By making sure that all family members are accounted for, pets included, you can save yourself a lot of stress should the worst happen. Prepare for an emergency ahead of time so that you can react quickly and calmly. It just might save your life!