8 Steps To Take When a Natural Disaster is Approaching

In this day and age, for many emergencies and natural disasters, we have some advance notice, but not always. In the case of hurricanes, we can sometimes have an entire week advance notice. Tornadoes may only give us a few minutes. And in the case of Earthquakes, we may have no notice at all.

However, in the event that you know a natural disaster is on its way and you have some time (maybe 30-60 minutes), there are some steps we should take to be as prepared as possible to handle the approaching disaster.

Before we begin,

We need to be as prepared as possible long before an emergency or disaster strikes.

This means:

• There shouldn’t be any running to the store to get last minute water or food, you should already have it.
• You should already be well aware of what types of disasters are likely to happen in your area.
• The emergency disaster plan for your household should already be written up and everyone has a copy.
• Important documents should already be together.
• Generators with extra gas should already be at your home.
• Extra medical supplies and other necessary household items should already be in place.

In times of crisis, droves of unprepared people run to the stores to gather supplies they don’t already have. You don’t want to be one of those people. There should be no need to be out and about when an emergency or disaster is approaching.

The time to prepare is not during a disaster.

In saying all of that, when you know a disaster is approaching, here are some steps we should take:

1. Don’t panic – Take a moment to calm your nerves. This could potentially be a stressful time, but it doesn’t have to be. Take a few deep breaths and remain calm. A calm mind is a focused mind. When your mind is focused, it can take decisive actions without hesitation.

2. Gather the family – Make sure your entire household is in one place. That one place could be a meeting place such as a school or family members home, it doesn’t necessarily have to be at your home. Though your home is ideal since it’s your safe zone and all of your preps would typically be there. This should all be in your emergency disaster plan which every family member has a copy of. Don’t forget your pets!

3. Secure anything outdoors – Move and secure anything that could fly away in high winds.

4. Secure your home – Keep doors, windows and curtains closed and secured.

5. Gather bug out supplies – Whether you need to bug out or not, it’s a good idea to have your supplies ready to go by the door you’d be leaving out of (front door, garage door, etc.).

6. Setup supplies – Whether you expect a blackout or not, go ahead and setup your alternative cooking methods, water purification methods, get your blackout kit out, etc. Get these things into place so they’re easily accessible and ready to go. Go ahead and check the batteries on the flashlights as well. Also get the board games and other entertainment items out and ready to go. If there are any medical supplies that might need backup batteries, get those ready to go, as well.

7. Turn on comms – Turn on your NOAA weather radio, HAM radio or other means of communication. If there’s still TV and internet, be sure to monitor it closely. Intel will be your friend in any emergency or disaster.

8. Be ready to go at any time – Be relaxed, but also alert. If you’re bugging in but suddenly realize you need to leave, you may need to act quickly. However, there’s no need to stand next to the door with bated breath. Simply be with your family, be alert and act when you need to act. Don’t wait for anyone to tell you to evacuate; if you’re listening and watching for the news and what’s going on outside and your gut tells you to leave, then leave.

I would highly suggest running mock drills long before a disaster. See how long it takes for everyone to meet at the designated meeting area(s). See how long it takes to gather supplies. Practice deep breathing to control stress. And so on.

The more we practice, the better prepared we’ll be. Make it fun for the whole family and give family members specific tasks, especially kids who love to help and feel needed.