Here’s What Preppers Should Prep for the Month of September

For the month of September, preppers should focus on these areas to get better prepared for emergencies and disasters:

1. Seasonal Changes

• Weather Shifts: As September marks the beginning of fall in many regions, temperatures can fluctuate. Prepare for both warm and cooler weather by having appropriate clothing, blankets, and heating options ready for fall and winter. Now is a great time to start thinking about winter preps in general.
• Hurricane Preparedness: September is peak hurricane season in the Atlantic. If you’re in a hurricane-prone area, make sure your emergency kits are updated, you have plenty of food and water stocked, lights out preps, evacuation plans are clear, and your home is secured against strong winds and potential flooding.

2. Harvest and Food Storage

• Preservation: September is often a harvest month, so it’s a good time to focus on food preservation, whether that’s canning, dehydrating, freeze drying, or freezing the summer’s bounty. Stock up on necessary supplies like jars, lids, mylar bags and oxygen absorbers, and vacuum-seal bags. Even if you don’t have a garden, start getting some food preserved for the winter months.
• Stock Rotation: Go through your food storage, rotating older items to the front to be used first. Check for any expired items and replace them. Take an inventory to check for any holes in your stock.

3. Emergency Drills

• Family Preparedness: Conduct a family emergency drill. Review and practice your evacuation routes, communication plans, and first aid skills. Make sure everyone knows their role in different emergency scenarios. Check out my guide on how to make an emergency disaster drill.
• Fire Safety: September is a good time to check fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries and ensure everything is in working order.

4. Health and Hygiene

• First Aid Kit Check: Go through your first aid kits and restock any used or expired items. Ensure you have enough OTC and prescription medications and consider flu season preparations.
• Sanitation Supplies: Ensure you have a solid supply of hygiene products like soap, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies, especially as the colder months approach and the potential for illness increases.

5. Community and Networking

• Preparedness Events: September is National Preparedness Month in the U.S., so look out for community events or online workshops that focus on emergency preparedness. It’s a good opportunity to learn new skills and connect with like-minded individuals.

6. Financial Preparedness

• Budgeting: Since we’re in the changing seasons time, review your financial situation such as your budget and make sure you have an emergency fund in place or work toward paying off debt. Consider setting aside some cash in small denominations in case of banking outages or economic disruptions.
• Important Documents: Make sure all important documents are up to date and securely stored, both physically and digitally. Check out my list on what type of important documents you should be keeping on hand.

What are you doing to prep during the month of September?