Prepare for Natural Disaster Emergencies

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PHOTO: FOTOLIA/ROBHAINER
Preparing for the unexpected falls into two categories: emergencies that permit you to stay at home and those requiring immediate or delayed evacuation.

Advance preparation can disarm disaster. Stock up and familiarize yourself with survival equipment and first-aid books beforehand.

Prepare for Natural Disaster Emergencies

Tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, mud slides, power outages, toxic leaks–no area of the country is immune to natural disaster emergencies. All of us, countryfolk or urban dwellers, should acquaint ourselves with the types of emergencies most likely to occur where we live, and make some advance preparations.

Preparedness for long-term catastrophies, such as famine, drought, or nuclear war, requires more extensive information and planning than I’ll cover in this article. I’m going to focus here on short-term, yet potentially life-threatening, emergencies that last from a day to a week.

Getting prepared for natural disaster emergencies is not expensive. With the exception of food, warm clothing, and a good first-aid kit that we already had on hand, my husband and I obtained our emergency gear for less than $70 by buying a kerosene heater and lamp, propane cookstove, fuel tanks, a battery-powered AM-FM radio, and insulated underwear at yard sales and flea markets.

  • Published on Jan 1, 1987
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