Disaster Preparedness

After the major ice storm in Texas a few weeks ago, I put together tips and tricks to improve our disaster preparedness. By no means am I an expert at this because after all, I was melting snow so that I could do dishes and go to the bathroom haha. However, there were a few things we did do to prepare for a potential crisis that came in handy. I hope this list is helpful to you all as you work to protect your families!

The reason for this post is not to scare you, but to empower you to be equipped and prepared to protect yourself and your family. Proverbs 27:12 says "A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." As government gets bigger, the less rights we will have. Things like natural disasters, famines, plagues, etc will increase in frequency as we approach the End Times. We are seeing it play out every single day! You never know when you will no longer have the privilege to use electricity, water, homes, gather, worship, have access to food, etc. We've seen time and time again that the "big guys" are changing our very way of life, and you need to begin thinking about how you will take care of yourself and your family if things were to go south.

Do not feel like you have to pull all of these things together today (although, I wouldn't waste too much time either haha). This list is to serve as a guideline as you begin to prepare. Start with the basics like food, water and how you'll access those items and work your way to the bigger ticket things like how to live off the land. This isn't a one size fits all list and you could definitely play worst case scenario for every single disaster that could happen, but my advice is to just focus on the ones that are most realistic for your geographical area.

Without further ado, here is a starting point for you as you prep for a crisis! Best practice is that you should have things for a 72 hour emergency/escape bag (that you do not take things out of, this should be packed and ready to go for emergencies), and at LEAST 2 weeks of preparedness for at home.

LINKS PROVIDED HERE

Food

Manual can opener
Non Perishable items

Yeast
Canned Veggies
Canned Meat
Canned Soup
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Protein Bars
Boxed Food (Pancake, Cornbread, Cereal, Mac & Cheese, etc)
Canned Pasta
Powdered Milk
Flour
Sugar
Oats
Vegetable Oil
Rice
Beans
Spam
Dried Food/Survival Food Packages
Seeds (to plant and live off the land)

Freezer meat - for when grocery stores go out of stock (I kept 2 weeks worth of meat in our freezer, I probably need more)
Pet food
Baby food/formula
Drinking water - bonus if you are on well water. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but well water allows you to not depend on city water.
Thermos - for hot and cold drinks/soup, etc.
Yeti Cooler

Power, Tools and Communication

Batteries
Flashlights
Headlamps
Lanterns
First Aid Kit
Map
Compass
Crank or Battery Powered Radio
Generator
Matches/Lighters
Eno/Hammock
Guns/Ammo
Solar Charger
Axe
Shovel
Work Gloves
Zip Ties
Duck Tape
Tarp
Blankets
Gas
Propane

Miscellaneous

Medication
Cash
Documents

ID
Deeds/Titles
Birth Certificates
Maps
Pictures of family (if you were to lose anyone you could identify them)

Important Info

Emergency Phone Numbers
Emergency Locations

Hospitals, meet up locations, Police Stations, etc

Don't forget to talk with you family and discuss a meet up location and plan. Talk about communication methods, transportation methods, who brings what, how you will barter if need be (still trying to find my skill haha), etc

Sanitation

Toilet Paper
Moist Towelettes
Soap
Trash bags
Feminine Products
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Hydrogen Peroxide

Emergency Bag

This bag should should be filled with items that will last you 72 hours for emergencies and be packed and ready to go. Do not pull things out of your emergency bag to "refill later". This is a prep it, set it and forget it until you need it!

Emergency Blankets
Sleeping Bag
First Aid Kit
Gallon of Water
Water Filter
Collapsable Canteen
Lighter/Fire Starter
Headlamp
Knife
Tarp
2 Trash Bags (the extra sturdy ones)
Batteries
One or 2 Way Radio
Documents
Cash
Toilet Paper
Change of clothes
Jacket
Non-perishable Food (easy to eat/take on the go)

I know this list can be overwhelming. In fact, as I was typing this out I became overwhelmed with how underprepared I am for disaster scenarios, but that's okay! We are not perfect, nor will we ever be, but I would rather be capable of surviving a disaster than to sit on my hands waiting for someone to help me. Something is better than nothing, so just start somewhere!

If you're into disaster prep - what did I miss?! Any must haves that I left out? This is a community - lets help each other out as best we can! We all have gifts and talents and the beauty of our uniqueness and knowledge is that we can learn from one another :)