Preparing for Flooding

Flooding is an emergency that can be fairly common. Usually flooding occurs as the result of another type of disaster, such as a severe thunderstorm, hurricane or tropical storm or a damn or levee breaking. Depending on the cause of the flood you may be given a short amount of warning time to prepare for the flood. However you should prepare now to meet this emergency. 1) Find out whether or not you are in a flood prone area. You can find this out by going to your city hall and asking the local building department. If you are in … Continue reading →

Preparing for Bird Flu

The recent coverage of the possible coming pandemic of Avian (bird) flu has been wide spread. Many are frightened by the threat of this dangerous illness. Others do not seem to take the possibility seriously. This is a rather frightening illness, which does have a high fatality rate. However, currently it is not spread from person to person. You can contract the disease from the infected birds themselves. You can learn more about bird flu here. There are steps that we can take in order to protect our families from a possible outbreak of bird flu. One site that you … Continue reading →

Roadside Emergencies

An emergency, which is often overlooked, is when your car breaks down. Often this is really only an inconvenience as you wait for someone to come and pick you up, but it can turn into a dangerous situation depending on where you are traveling and the time that you are traveling. I was with a group of friends on our way out of town when the car suddenly caught fire. The flames were actually coming into the interior of the car. Fortunately as soon as the driver turned off the car the flames stopped and we were all safely able … Continue reading →

Have You Started to Prepare?

Are you beginning to prepare for the emergencies that may affect your family? Are you beginning to gather the items that you may need in case of an emergency? Are you confident that your family will be able to be cared for no matter what situation arises? To be honest I would have to answer no to at least two of the questions. I have started to prepare, and I have been prepared in the past, but I did not keep on top of the rotation part of my kits, and so I am starting over again. I know that … Continue reading →

Are You Prepared for a Financial Emergency?

Are you prepared for a financial emergency? This is not a question that should be taken lightly. There are a number of events which can cause a financial emergency, and different steps that you can take in order to prepare you family for those emergency. Being prepared financially will bring you a great sense of peace. The first type of financial emergency can be when an unexpected expense arises. An example of this is that your car breaks down and you need to have it repaired. It can also be when your air conditioning or furnace breaks down. As easy … Continue reading →

Helping Others in a Disaster

One you are prepared for an emergency, it is a great idea to help others when they are faced with an emergency. I love to hear the stories of the people who were able to help (and many who still are helping) the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This also happens throughout the world with the many different disasters that other countries face. You may be able to help by donating items or money to a local charity or food bank. After Hurricane Katrina several radio stations, TV Stations and local churches had food drives and gathered other supplies for the … Continue reading →

Fire Safety and Prevention

One emergency, which can be devastating, is to have a fire in your home. I have seen one house fire in person. We were on our way home, and the fire was there on a side road. It was huge and we could see it from quite a distance. It was quite scary to watch as it consumed the house. It made me sad to think of the family who lived there, and everything that they were losing in the fire. This experience taught me the importance of preventing a fire, and preparing your family for the possibility of one. … Continue reading →

Preparing for Earthquakes

I grew up in an area where the only natural disaster I really worried about was earthquakes. In addition to the fire drills we had each year in school, we also had earthquake drills. I remember waking up as a child to a small earthquake. I think it was around a 3.0, but I was scared because I was on the bottom bunk of the bed and so I rolled off of it and onto the floor. After the quake was over, my dad came and checked on us. It really wasn’t a big deal. However earthquakes can quickly become … Continue reading →

Hurricanes: Planning for Evacuation

Evacuation due to a hurricane brings many things to mind. You may think of being stuck in the car in awful traffic for hours. You may worry about leaving your home and possessions behind. And you may worry about where you are going to stay during the period of evacuation. Once you have formed an evacuation plan then you most of these concerns will be resolved, and you will be order to move forward quickly. The first thing you should do is decide where you will stay during an evacuation. If you have family and friends in a nearby area, … Continue reading →

Hurricanes: Protecting Your Home

Next to your family, your home is one of your most important assets. It is important that you begin to prepare now to protect your home from a hurricane. If you take the time to prepare now, then when a hurricane is coming you will just need to complete a few simple steps in order to protect your home. Here are a few steps to help protect your home: 1) Make sure that you have homeowner’s insurance. As you talk with your insurance agent make sure that you understand what is covered in case of an emergency and what is … Continue reading →