In many parts of the country, unstable weather means a greater chance for natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. It can be nerve-wracking to try and prepare for it all, but when you have a family whose safety is your first priority, it’s imperative that you come up with a good plan in the event that you are stuck in your home, your family is separated from one another, or you must evacuate quickly.
Fortunately, there are several simple things you can do now to prepare for these types of events to ensure that your family stays safe. Having a solid plan and knowing how to provide for your loved ones will give you peace of mind and allow you to act quickly if and when something dangerous comes your way. Keep reading for some great tips on how to prepare for a disaster.
Can Your Own Homegrown Vegetables
Depending on where you live, the type of disaster that can strike your home may vary. In some events, you and your family may need to stay put for a while, such as during a snowstorm, so it’s important to have supplies put aside to sustain everyone. A great way to start is by canning your own homegrown vegetables. For example, if you have a garden, you can save back some of your harvest and prevent it from going to waste by storing it in jars, preferably in a cool place such as a cellar. Canning requires a heating and cooling process to keep botulism and other bacteria out, however, so it’s imperative that you follow directions carefully.
Have a Toolbox Handy
Every home needs a good toolbox, and in the event of a disaster, it can help you prevent damage to your home and make repairs afterward. The types of tools you’ll need will vary depending on where you live. For instance, if you make your home in Florida, the best toolbox will be one you can use to put up boards over windows and tighten shutters and shingles before a hurricane hits. You should have a hammer and nails, a flashlight, a pair of heavy shears, pliers, and a crowbar.
Do Some Research
It’s always good to know who to call in case something happens to your home that is outside of your scope of DIY knowledge. Look online to find the best contractors in your area and get familiar with companies that handle large-scale jobs, such as repairing foundations. The average price to repair concrete foundation in Detroit, Michigan, is between $541 and $2,779, with a projected timeline of one day. For more information, click here.
Prepare the Kids
It’s important to prepare your kids for a disaster without making them anxious. Talk about where you’ll meet in the event that you ever get separated, and go over how to evacuate the house in case there’s ever a fire. Turn it into a game for the younger kids to see how quickly everyone can meet at a certain point on the lawn. Most children will be familiar with disaster preparedness from school, but it can’t hurt to go over it again at home.
If you have a child who is living with a disability, it’s imperative that you create a plan for getting them out of your home safely or for making sure they get to the safest part of your house in the event of a tornado or earthquake. Hold a family meeting and go over the plan; if you have more than one child, assign buddies so that there will always be someone accountable for someone else during a scary event.
Preparing your family and home in the event of a disaster will help keep everyone safe and give your loved ones peace of mind when the weather starts to become unpredictable. Keep communication open, and talk often about your plans to keep them fresh in everyone’s mind.