With the way that the weather has gotten so crazy lately, it is important to always have an emergency plan. You never know when crazy weather will affect you so you shouldn’t assume it can’t happen to you. It is always better to be prepared for an emergency instead of having to react to one.
Many people live in areas where there are frequent emergencies such as tornadoes and wildfires. Those people are able to live there because they have a plan and are always ready. If you live in an area where emergencies are less predictable you will still need to have a plan in case of a natural disaster or something else. In this article, we will go over several tips to help you prepare.
1 – Know the risks
To properly prepare for an emergency you have to know what it is that you’re preparing for. In other words, what would the results be if you did nothing? In the event of a hurricane, your house will suffer from wind damage and even flying debris. You will need to board up your windows to prevent them from getting broken.
If you are facing a flood, then putting sandbags around the perimeter where water could get in if it gets high enough is important. Otherwise, you will have a lot of water damage that will require a remediation and restoration company to clean it up and fix any issues such as mold or water damage.
The point is that you can’t prepare for something if you don’t know what the effects of doing nothing would be. Find out before the emergency if you need to take preventative measures to protect your house.
2 – Have an emergency preparedness kit
Every home should have a kit that is ready to go at a moment’s notice. Sometimes emergencies happen out of the blue and there is little time to react. Having a kit that is already set up is essential to save time.
The kit should have things like batteries, a flashlight, a fire-starting kit that works even when it’s wet, and a knife. In addition to that, you need to have some warm and dry clothes to wear, bandages, and drinking water.
Keep it in an area where you have easy access to it so you can grab it and go without needing to pack anything extra.
3 – Keep your car maintained
Your car could be your lifeline if you are trying to evacuate. This means it has to be maintained and reliable in an emergency. It should have plenty of gas in it so you aren’t in danger of running out if you need to go a long distance or get stuck somewhere.
The tires should be filled to the proper pressure and always have a spare tire in the trunk. It’s also a good idea to have some of the flat tire spray to quickly fix a flat tire in case your spare is already in use.
