Tag: emergency preparedness

  • P Is For Prepper

    P Is For Prepper – by Rachel Wilder

    All right world I can say it – I’m a Prepper!

    So many people give me the reaction that I’m crazy. That I’m actually hoping something horrible will happen so I can break out my canned goods and emergency radio. That people should suffer around me so I can test to see if my batteries are really good for ten years.

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    That is the last thing on my mind.

    But I watch the news. And it wasn’t always showing far away places and strangers like the tsunami and resulting nuclear meltdown in Japan during 2011. I remember seeing the aftermath of Katrina 2005, of talking to my brother while he weathered Superstorm Sandy 2012. Of my best friend telling me she almost got trapped in her car during  Snowapocalypse 2014.

    So awful things seem to always happen to strangers….until suddenly it doesn’t.

    It’s now you or one of your loved ones. A family member or good friend. Heck, even a beloved pet. Anyone can suddenly end up cold, or hungry or lost and homeless. The question is- are you going to look back and discover that you could have helped them or yourself with a little forethought and planning,

    You don’t have spend your life savings on things hopefully you’ll never need. Like this family.

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    Though, if you look closely, they don’t look too worried about anything. But just get the most basic of extra supplies that will give you peace of mind. Is that three days or three weeks? That’s something you and your family need to think about and discuss.

    So in reality, preppers look more like this…

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  • J Is For Just in Case

    My friends joke with me that I’d look forward to a zombie apocalypse.  I’d almost rather deal with a few shuffling rotters than a natural disaster that actually can happen. You don’t have to be on an episode of  Doomsday Prepper to need a three day supply of food and water.   Just think back to Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy.  I honestly don’t think I could live in the tornado alley of the Midwest or along the flood zone of the Mississippi.

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    But then there’s no place that’s truly ‘safe’. So the best you can do is have a bit of common sense and planning. It doesn’t take much time or money but it can give you loads of peace of mind.  You don’t have to worry about outrageous scenarios, just be practical about the possibility of a bad winter storm or the possibility of loosing your electricity and plumbing due to construction.

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    But, on the million and one chance zombies do come….

    Having a bit of a plan and some extra supplies can’t hurt. That way you can sit back and relax while you’re waiting until Daryl shows up.

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  • E is for Emergency

    A lot of my friends tease me about being a Doomsday Prepper because I grew up in hurricane country and tend to be prepared.

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    For anything. Including, perhaps, zombies.

    But to be honest, an emergency can happen anywhere, anytime to anyone. And information can be vital. So some questions everyone should ask themselves is … if something happens to me and I am hospitalized who will take care of my children or pets? Does my family know what hospital I prefer? Do I? Which one is covered by my insurance?

    Do I have a list of important numbers that isn’t locked in my cell phone? Does the person I want to ‘be in charge’ know about it?  Even better, do they know and agree to be my ‘go to’ contact?

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    You can go deeper and consider if you have a current will or a living will? Does family know your wishes if you can’t express them? The time to figure this out is before you’re unconscious. Might be easier- just saying. After all, when you get home you want to concentrate on getting better.

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