Prep & Plan: Disaster Review

Since I began this blog series almost two years ago, a lot of unhappy things have happened in the world. Things that prove that any one of us, at any time, may have to deal with a disaster and be forced to rebuild our lives. Like I’ve mentioned before, being ready for emergencies has nothing to do with crazy TV shows about people hiding in underground bunkers or building tree houses in the Ozarks. The kind of Prepping & Planning I’m talking about is a no-nonsense, no-stress way of evaluating risk and your family’s readiness in the face of unexpected emergencies. And these unexpected emergencies can be anything from a flat tire 100 miles from home or a burst pipe that is flooding the house on Christmas Eve. (both of these have happened to me!).

In light of everything going on in the world, I think it’s time to review and/or make a new disaster plan. But first, we need to do some “thinking” work. So today’s post is about reviewing what disasters we want to plan for. We’re not worrying about the “how” yet. First we need to focus on what has happened to us in the past and what could possibly happen to us in the future.

First, mentally review the family/pet emergencies you’ve dealt with in the past. Include broken toes, house flood, frozen/burst pipes, fire, identity fraud, serious illness, unemployment, loss of insurance, injured pet, etc. Don’t relive and dwell on the things that have happened! We’re not doing an emotional purge. Just remember them so you can jot them down.

Then think about about the disasters/bad things that have happened or could happen in your neighborhood, surrounding area, county or state. This can include pandemics, wild fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, civil unrest/riots, hospital closures, wars, forced evacuations, etc. But be realistic–not every place in the country gets hit by hurricanes or tsunamis or blizzards. Now let’s grab a cup of coffee or tea, a few cookies (these are nice!), and a notebook so we can begin our review.

Next week we’ll begin to break this all down, starting with a Home Emergency Binder. If you’re interested in more information about disaster preparedness, check out Ready.gov’s Make a Plan. Although it’s a HUGE site and can overwhelm even the most sophisticated planner, it’s a great place for general information. But, if you want to begin more simply, just write down everything in your notebook while drinking a cup of tea or coffee (or a glass of wine). And don’t stress. The entire point of this blog series is to help move you into a mindset where preparedness becomes second nature. A mindset where this all becomes easy, just like brushing your teeth or taking a walk.