How to Plan and Prepare for Emergencies at Home

Learning how to plan and prepare for disasters can mean the difference between life and death. If something serious happens, you need to have a survival plan.Whether you’re having a small emergency or the whole city is having the same problem, you need to know what you’re going to do. Failing to be prepared is one of the biggest reasons people don’t make it out of hurricanes, tornados, and other disasters.

One of very useful things besides the practical tips below is insurance and if you want to learn more about insurance for emergency situations visit Money Expert.Continue reading this article to learn how you can prepare for emergencies so you can make it through.

Do Your Best to Plan and Prepare

While you might not have everything down, you can do your best to cover as many bases as possible. These following tips can help you.

Phone Numbers

Making a list of important phone numbers is key when something goes awry. You’ll need to list phone numbers for the police, poison control, fire, work, childcare and any family members you might need to get in contact with. For good measure, put your address on that list in case the person calling doesn’t know the address and needs to read it off to the person they’re calling.

Emergency Contacts

Calling people that are local to you in the case of an emergency is more difficult than getting in contact with someone out of state. Pick an out of state relative to call and let them know where you are and what your plans are. Have a plan for who that emergency contact is going to be and everyone in the family can call them and get information about each other if they can’t get through otherwise.

Escape Routes & Where to Meet Up

You should have escape routes listed for your home and for your city. You need to have plans in place in case your first choice of escape isn’t possible. When you’re planning to escape the city and meet up, make sure you think about the fact that certain roads might not be accessible. Figure out people in the town that might be able to help you and your family because they have a boat or other equipment that might be helpful.

Planning for Your Pets

Your pets are part of your family but it can be difficult to plan for your pets in an emergency. They may be at the doggy daycare or they might be lost outside in the storm. If your pet is with you and you’re trying to figure out what you need for them — carry light. You should only bring the food and water they need. You should also think about the best pet carrier for when you’re on the move.

Your pets should always have their shots and up-to-date information so they are welcome in pet-friendly hotels. Having tags with contact information on them will help your pets make it home safely in the event that they’re lost. Don’t forget to bring your poop baggies for your dog so they don’t leave a mess wherever you decide to go.

Your Important Documents

Having a list of all the important documents that you need before you go will help you keep from forgetting important documents that you may need. Make sure each member of the family knows where to locate their driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, medical records, titles for any property, paperwork for any investments anyone in the family might have and anything else you can think of that is important.

Some of the other things you might want to bring are listed below.

• Health Insurance Information
• Life Insurance Information
• Videos and Photos of All Property for Proof for Insurance Claims
• Wills & Other Related Documents
• Latest Tax Returns
• Marriage Certificate
• Adoption Papers
• Citizenship Papers
• Prescriptions
• Military Records
• Copies of Family Photographs

You may have other things to add to your list of important documents as well.

Quick-Grab Supply Kit

The bigger your family, the bigger your quick-grab aka go bag needs to be. You may consider creating multiple bags for each adult to carry in larger families. These bags should have everything you need to go in case there is an emergency and you need to get out right away. One of the things you should include in your supply bag is a police scanner so you can monitor any emergencies. Read more about police scanners from our friends at ratedRadardetector.

Make Sure You Have Plenty of Water

Water is one of the most important things you can have when you’re trying to survive. If you don’t have water, you’re not going to make it very far. If you get trapped in your home, you’re going to need to have water in the home so you can stay there and survive. You can read more about different water storage options that will allow you to stay in your home during a disaster without running out of water.

Educating Children

While we like to protect our kids from all things scary, we also need to keep in mind that it’s better to have them in the know when something does go wrong. You don’t have to scare them to talk to them about being prepared for a potential disaster.

Make sure they know your names, phone number, and address. If kids are old enough, teach them how to turn the utilities on and off. Also, make sure you go over the evacuation plan with your children regularly so they are familiar and confident in their ability to execute it.

Learn More Tips to Help You Through Life

Now that you know how to plan and prepare, you might have some tasks to do around your home. We have plenty of articles that can help you learn to become somewhat of a handyman. Navigate through our site, find your favorite section, drop a bookmark and come back later for more great reads.