Being prepared . . .
Although we can never be 100% prepared for natural disasters, we can equip ourselves to be more prepared for the "expected" unexpected.
What I mean is, that we can pack supplies that can get us through some tough times when a natural disaster strikes.
We never really know when a catastrophic event will occur like a tornado or a flood or a fire or a host of other events that we are never fully ready for.
After having had an EF1 tornado do some serious damage to my home in early May, I wanted to share some things that I have learned as far as being prepared for the future.
Always expect the unexpected
I am not saying that we should live in fear of the unknown, but we should prepare ourselves and our families as much as possible for when the unexpected hits.
The time to prepare is BEFORE the event happens, not DURING or AFTER.
If you anticipate your needs before a disaster strikes it is a lot easier to deal with the event. Notice, I did not say "easy" I said "easier." Dealing with natural disasters or even man-made disasters is not easy.
The first thing you are going to do is prepare an emergency plan.
The Emergency Plan
An emergency plan can be pretty basic. It gives you and your family some basic guidelines for what to do in any given emergency situation.
For example, if you are in a tornado warning, the plan would be to get into a basement, a strong interior room if a basement is not available or a storm shelter. If you are driving, seek shelter or get into a depression or ditch.
If it is a fire, go over your escape routes from your home and have a safe place to meet up.
Since there are many different kinds of emergency situations that you might find yourself in, we won't list them all here. Just be aware of the many forms and have a plan for the ones that are potential hazards for your life.
Although the nature of an emergency can vary, there is one thing that you can plan that will be very much the same or similar no matter the emergency...
The Emergency Kit
The emergency kit is probably one of your most important things to have in an emergency. It can include things like extra clothing, a first aid kit, food, water, flashlights and more.
I thought of all these things after we experienced the tornado in May. We had a few scented candles scattered throughout the house, but no idea where any matches or lighterswere located. Flashlights? Forget about it. The one we could find had dead batteries in it!
A good, all purpose emergency kit should contain (according to FEMA, information courtesy of FEMA.gov):
Flashlight. Extra batteries for the flashlight are also a good idea. If your power is out and you have no way to charge your phone, you might need to rely on a flashlight to get around at night.
Whistle. A whistle can help you signal for help if you are stranded and need search and rescue to hear you.
Dust Mask Depending on the emergency, you may need a mask to help protect you against contaminated air.
Local Maps. If you need to evacuated but have no power or access to the internet, you may need to rely on a paper map to find your way to safety.
Manual Can Opener. Your emergency kit is probably made up of canned food, which lasts for a long time. If you don’t have power, you’ll need a way to open these cans.
Battery-powered or Hand Cranked Radio. A radio will help you receive updates on the disaster and any known safety risks.
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children. Disasters can be stressful. If you have fun games or activities that your children can do when the power is out, this can help them cope with the stress.
First Aid Kit. Conditions during and after a disaster can vary dramatically. You may need to provide immediate care to an injured family member.
Supplies for your pet. Your pet is a member of your family. You will want to have enough of their supplies to several days, as well as a favorite toy to comfort them.
Wrench or pliers. These tools can come in handy if you need to turn off utilities.
The Survival Kit
You may be asking yourself, "What is the difference between an emergency kit and a survival kit?"
Not a lot really, however, your survival kit is going to contain some special items designed to help you not only survive a natural disaster but also clean up and keep safer.
Your survival kit should contain some basic products from LastGerm.com that will help you make a healthier go of things before, during and after a disaster.
First off, make sure your kit has Vital Oxide in it. It has the word "vital" in its name for a reason!
Vital Oxide is our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered, NSF approved and hospital grade sanitizing product. It kills 99.999% of viruses, bacteria and pathogens. It even works against Covid-19.
It also meets the EPA's emerging pathogen requirements for viruses showing efficacy against enveloped and nonenveloped virus, both large and small.
In other words, don't leave home without it!
Secondly, always keep a container of our alcohol-free hand sanitizer in your survival kit. There may not be clean running water. This will help protect you from all those nasty things you may have to touch in the process of dealing with whatever the disaster is.
BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer
BIOPROTECT™ Hydrating Hand Sanitizer is an FDA-registered hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria on your hands up to 6 hours!
Moisturizes and hydrates hands as it kills germs and bacteria.
Infused with soothing aloe vera.
Fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free.
This stuff works and it really does make your hands softer! So if you are constantly washing your hands, this would even help to soften them!
Third, you are going to want to have Pure&Clean First Aid Spray in your survival kit. Spray this on cuts and more to clean out the wound. Then spray on the Pure&Clean Hydrogel.
This stuff works! Check out some of the case studies of people treated with this and find out more!
In fact, my friend kept having chapped, cracked skin on her hands. One finger was especially a problem and was cracking open and bleeding all the time. We did a few treatments of Hydrogel and within two weeks her finger was healed and it has not cracked or broken open since we did the treatments. She continues to do the same work with her hands, so the only thing that changed was the treatment with the Hydrogel!
The great thing about these products is that you can use them all the time, but in the case of an emergency, they can prove to be real life-savers!
Questions?
If you have questions about Pure&Clean and how Lastgerm is working with them to bring you more quality products that make your life safer and better, contact an agent near you who will be happy to assist you.