How I Make Sure My Family Is Prepared for the Unexpected

We live an an area that is very rural and I can remember times growing up when storms would come through especially in the summer months and we would be without power for days. The most I remember is 10 days. Talk about tough times! We learned at a very young age how to be prepared for just about anything. I am going to share some tips that we learned and hope that they help you and your family prepare for the unexpected.

Have Drinking Water-

I know this may sound silly to some, but again being in a rural area when the electricity is out we do not have water. It takes electricity to work the well pump and without the pump there is no water. We have learned to keep a little stockpile of gallons of water for ourselves, but also for our pets. We also fill the bathtub and secure the drain to have water to flush the toilet manually. We also keep the number for our power company and other power supply providers with strompris because they have a hotline to call to get updates on the electric situation, same with the telephone company

Have Prescriptions Filled-

We keep a first aid kit with the required things like band aids and other supplies, but also learned when care taking for my Grandparents during these terrible outages that often prescription medications were limited or they would forget them when they needed to evacuate. An instance occurred several winters ago when we lost electricity in a snow storm and my Grandmother had to relocate to another family members home. We made 100% sure that she had her important medications.

Gardening-

I know it sounds insane, but having a garden especially in the summer when there is an unexpected emergency can be an absolute lifesaver. Having fresh fruits and vegetables in an emergency is a breath of fresh air. Often without a grill it is very difficult and after several days food begins to spoil anyway, so fresh is best in these instances. Also passing time on the long days without electricity having a garden can help relieve some of the household tension that builds up in these instances.

Batteries & Flashlights-

I love that technology has pretty much taken away our need for tons of batteries when preparing for any unexpected disaster, but we still keep them on hand. We also keep chargers for things that have rechargeable batteries such as our lanterns and other things and use our vehicle to charge them. As long as the truck has good power we are good to go, but like I said the battery supply is always a great thing to have. We also keep a battery powered clock/radio that helps us to stay in touch with things going on locally but also to be able to tell time.

Landline Telephone-

We still have a landline telephone but I keep a phone that does not require power to use it (yes, how old school of us!!) and also with that phone is a list of all of our local emergency phone numbers including the non-emergency numbers for our local police and EMS. No need to call 911 for a non-emergency situation but always a good idea to have a way to talk with someone if the need arises. We also keep the number for our power company because they have a hotline to call to get updates on the electric situation, same with the telephone company.

I hope these tips have helped you and your family to prepare for the unexpected. They have been a lifesaver for us several times. What tips do you have to share for preparing for the worst?

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.