Table of Contents
Stage 1: Preparing for Short-Term Emergencies
Disasters can strike unexpectedly, making it crucial to prepare for short-term emergencies, such as a 72-hour scenario. Start by purchasing quality survival kits for each family member and your pets. This initial step ensures you are ready to handle small-scale disasters and provides peace of mind.
However, not all disasters are minor. Consider Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused widespread devastation across seven states, with New Orleans suffering the most. Even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area, other natural disasters, like extreme heat waves, can also pose significant risks. For example, the 1980 heat wave in the United States resulted in 1,260 deaths and caused severe agricultural damage, leading to food shortages and higher prices. Since storms account for over half of natural disaster fatalities, focus your initial survival planning on storm preparedness. Storms can knock out power through wind, flooding, or snow, so prioritize planning for these events.
Stage 2: Extending Your Preparedness to One Week
Once you’re confident in your ability to manage a three-day emergency, extend your survival plan to cover one week. Serious disaster preparedness means being ready for more prolonged disruptions. For instance, a storm hit our area last winter with 90 mph winds, causing a power outage. Some parts of our community were without power for two weeks in below-zero temperatures. In January 2012, another community in our state experienced 18 feet of snowfall, while yet another had 27 feet.
Despite these harsh conditions, there were no deaths because people were well-prepared. Neighbors helped each other, small generators provided power, wood stoves were utilized, and food supplies like canned fish, frozen moose meat, and preserved berries sustained everyone. Local community agencies also offered resources to help residents survive.
Preparation involves stocking up on food and wood during the summer, hunting, fishing, canning, drying, and freezing foods to store for winter. Even in urban settings, you can stock up on sale items to prepare for emergencies.
Stage 3: Planning for Extreme Disaster Preparedness
The final stage involves planning to survive for one month. In Alaska, our winters can last 8-9 months, necessitating serious preparedness. While we do have cities and buy food from stores, subsistence fishing and moose hunting are critical for survival during the harsh winters. Alaskans take their subsistence rights seriously and prepare diligently for the winter season.
Starting with research is essential, but the hardest part is transitioning from research to action. Begin by researching disaster preparedness online, where you can find disaster plan guides, survival lists, and gardening tips. Government agencies and local community resources can provide valuable information about local edible plants and effective gardening practices.
To prepare for one month, revise your survival plan to include renewable resources native to your region and essential hand tools. Focus on the basics and ensure your list covers all necessary survival items. If you can survive one month, you can handle longer periods.
Gather your survival items based on your research and stick to the essentials. Utilize survival products that simplify the planning process. Many websites categorize survival concerns and offer products to address them. Carefully shop for first aid supplies, survival kits, storage foods, and survival equipment to ensure you are well-prepared for any disaster.
Conclusion
Disaster preparedness involves progressing through three stages: short-term emergencies, week-long disruptions, and extended survival plans. By taking these steps and utilizing available resources, you can ensure that you and your loved ones are ready to face any disaster with confidence.
