Be Prepared for Frost

Winter is definitely underway, which means that you need to be prepared for frost, both for your family and for your home. Even if the cold weather has hit your area, you can still be proactive. It is never to late to be prepared. Prepare Your Pipes Frozen pipes are not good thing. If you have ever experienced a burst pipe, you know what I mean. There is water flooding everywhere causing damage to your home, and the fix and cleanup are often expensive. To prepare against a burst pipe, make sure that you know where your water shut off … Continue reading →

Applying for Energy Assistance

There are many programs out there that can help you if you need energy assistance. Some of these programs are state or local government funded, some are privately funded, and some are funded by energy companies. If you need energy assistance this winter, you’ll want to apply to one or several of these programs, depending on where you live and what your situation happens to be. Many other families may also be applying. In order to up your chances of being selected for energy assistance, you will need to be prepared with the information that will need to go on … Continue reading →

Create a Home Inventory

In the event of a disaster, you may wind up losing your belongings, from a few items lost to flooding in the basement, to an entire household full of stuff. That is why it is important to create an inventory of your things , so you can have a record of anything you might lose. For insurance purposes, you want to make sure that you have all of the information that you need. This way, you are more likely to be able to get the full replacement cost of your valuables. Creating an inventory can be done in as little … Continue reading →

How to Pick an Emergency Contact

Designating an emergency contact is a very important part in the plan to disaster proof your home and your family. This step can take as little as five minutes, although it is easy to overlook, and most people ignore it. Here is what you need to know in order to pick an emergency contact. Get this step done, if you want to be really prepared for potential emergencies and disaster. What will you do if an emergency strikes and you can’t get any information about what is happening? What will you do if your family members are in different locations, … Continue reading →

How Vulnerable is Your Community?

Did you know that when the United States president declares a disaster, 90 percent of the time it is weather related? Some areas of the country are more prone to certain kinds of weather emergencies than others. But how do you know which ones pertain to you? or example, do you really need to be prepared for hurricanes? If you do, is there a specific time of year when hurricanes should be a concern? What about those other emergencies, both the ones that are weather related and those that might not be, such as floods, tornados, blizzards, earthquakes., etc.? There … Continue reading →

What to Do If You Are Told to Shelter in Place

Every emergency does not mean an evacuation. Sometimes, it is better to shelter in place, either because there is not enough time to evacuate or because it is just safer to stay at home or indoors wherever you are. When you are advised to shelter in place, it means that you should stay inside or if you are currently outside, find the nearest building where you can stay when a disaster or an emergency occurs. There are several things that you should do to keep yourself and your family safe while you shelter in place. Once you are inside, you … Continue reading →

Having Somewhere to Go in an Emergency

If you are ordered to evacuate your home it is extremely important that you do not delay but leave as quickly as possible. If possible, evacuate before the official order is made. Not only will a quick escape increase your chances of rescue and survival in an emergency, but it will often shorten your travel time. Families and individuals who wait until the last moment often experience traffic congestion that delays getting to the right destination. Having an emergency to go kit can help you just pick up and get to safety, but assuming that you are prepared with supplies, … Continue reading →

Prepared for Unexpected Snow

Saturday just proved to me how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected. By now I’m sure you have either heard about it or experienced it yourself, but some parts of the east coast got snow, in October, a rarity. We are talking decades measuring the last time that this happened, and it fact, previous snows were only dustings. This time, we got actual build-a-snowman kind of snow. It also happened that we had our church’s annual trunk or treat scheduled. We were prepared to move things indoors, despite the snow and the Nor’easter, until we found out … Continue reading →

CDC Says “Be Prepared for Zombie Apocalypse”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging citizens to be prepared for a potential Zombie Apocalypse. I’m not kidding. The CDC recommends that each one of us has the following ready just in case, “to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp.” Water (1 gallon per person per day) Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly) Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds) Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc.) Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.) Clothing and Bedding … Continue reading →

Things of Comfort in Your Emergency Plan

When preparing for emergencies, we often think about all of the things that we will need to survive, such as food, water, and first aid. While these things are certainly a priority, it is also important to build in some items of comfort. After all, an emergency is a highly stressful situation. Comfort items can do a lot to reduce anxiety, relieve boredom that might come from waiting and generally make us feel better. There are many things that can add comfort for your family, and the items to include in your plan may vary per person. I can be … Continue reading →