When disaster is “about” to strike, you may have a couple of days, hours or minutes to prepare. When the disaster is like that of Hurricane Sandy, people had a few days to “prepare” for it. Here’s a list of things you could do to prepare, even as the emergency is upon you. Fill your gas tank. Have a 72 hour kit for every person in your family. You should have cash in your 72 hour kits because if electricity is …
I live & work in north-central Colorado and the recent disastrous (and ongoing) flooding caused me to take a different look at my preparations for getting home in any situation. My vehicle is kept in good operating condition with: at least a half tank of fuel food & water binoculars extra clothing rain poncho coats head gear Bible (New Testament & Psalms) extra boots & shoes tent sleeping bag candles lighters & fire starters flashlights batteries spare water containers 2 …
Getting home during a natural disaster: Being prepared for Colorado’s floods and more Read More »
Multi-year drought in much of the West has led to harsh summers recently. Hundred of thousands of acres have been lost each of the last several years to wildfires, and there appears to be no end in sight. This year, the Yosemite fire has taken up the most space on the news, but there are wildfires raging at one place or another all from Memorial day to Labor day. What lessons are these fires teaching us? A simple one: You …
Guest post by Julie Sczerbinksi who blogs at Home Ready Home. Riding in the car, on the way to a beach vacation, I listened to Lisa, The Survival Mom tell her radio show listeners that children can sleep through fire alarms. Right then, I had no idea that 2 nights later, on the 7th floor of the Marriott Hilton Head Resort and Spa, I’d have the chance to put her statement to the test. On Friday night, around 11 pm, …
Lesson Learned: Don’t Do These 10 Things in a Hotel Fire Emergency Read More »
Will your pet survive if you evacuate? Learn how to prepare a pet evacuation kit to properly protect and care for your pets in emergencies!
One of my Facebook readers sent this information to me, and I thought it had some valuable guidelines when we want to help others who have lost so much during an event like the Moore, OK, tornadoes but aren’t sure exactly what to do. “I worked in a shelter for several days after the May 3rd, 1999 tornado – here’s my advice, for what it is worth: We had tons of items donated – clothing, small household appliances, toys, dishes, …
Practical advice for helping those who suddenly have nothing Read More »
Guest post by Ann Johnston. I will first give you some brief things I went through in 1993 in West Des Moines, Iowa, then I wish to tell you what has changed my mind lately as I poo-pooed my husband with this survival stuff, what brought me back to taking a hard look at our future. In July 1993, a raging river flooded old downtown West Des Moines. I had just moved in to my soon-to-be new house as a …
My Story: Surviving a flood and planning for long-term survival Read More »
I wanted to share with you a learning situation my family and I had the weekend of Thanksgiving. We have been working on our disaster preparedness over the last few years, but this situation helped to show us some kinks in our armor. We live out on 5 acres with a well for our water supply. One day I walked out into our garage to find water gushing out of the pressure release valve on our water storage tank. The …
4 Lessons from living through a severe water shortage Read More »
Guest post by Kris. We “woke up” two years ago after an F-5 tornado obliterated our hometown: Joplin, MO. What we learned in the wake of that disaster has been unbelievable, miraculous, heart-wrenching, but ultimately, extremely useful. And while we were extremely lucky to miss the storm by about half a mile, we were all deeply affected on an emotional level. I know it’s true whenever the sky turns gray, as it has this week. Here are some valuable lessons …
11 Lessons the Joplin Tornadoes Taught Our Family Read More »
Guest post by Kris. Flashback to 2001, when my husband and I were traveling 4 hours to visit family for Christmas. Out of nowhere, mild snow flurries became a full-on snowstorm so fast that the road crews couldn’t keep up. We were stranded on the interstate at night—along with hundreds of other travelers—with no forward movement for over two hours. As newlyweds it was a small inconvenience and an excuse to kiss between Christmas carols on the radio. Flash forward …
A mom’s guide to getting ready for winter travel Read More »