June 26, 2022
Are You Ready for a Disaster?
By: Kirby Jonas
Are you ready for a disaster?
If your answer to this question is no, then you are like millions of other Americans. If your answer is yes, chances are good that you are fooling yourself.
Americans tend to take three approaches to the subject of emergency preparedness. One, they take the apathetic approach, i.e., “I’m not really worried. The government has always done a good job taking care of me.” If you’re in that category as an adult, I’m not sure anything anyone could say will help you.
Two, they think, “I’m pretty good. I think I’ve got it covered.” Which translated means when the feathers hit the fan they will be scrambling for help and probably among the first to go under.
Three, “I’m going to get every single thing I can get for any situation possible.” There are very few who fall into category three, and who can blame them? To truly be prepared for any situation would mean having to have some massive storage facility to put everything in, and realistically, how many of us have that?
So, let’s concentrate on category two, but let’s be truly, “pretty good.” “I think” is never good enough.
The subject of emergency preparedness is a vast one, and volumes have been written about it. Entire websites are devoted to it. With that in mind, anyone can find all they need to know with the click of a few buttons. This article, therefore, is an overview, and I strongly suggest that anyone who is smart enough to be concerned about emergency preparedness, especially in the current unsettled state of this world, start delving into deeper research than I can provide here, and do it right away. There literally is no time to waste.
Here is a very basic list of things you should have in your home to be prepared for a short-term emergency.
1. Water. One gallon per person per day is a good place to start.
2. Food. Keep it simple, easy to prepare, and packed with nutrition. Don’t waste money and space on junk food—and you know what that means. Go for canned soups, beans, dehydrated items, MRE’s. This isn’t time to worry about being comfortable. It’s time to think about survival.
3. Food. Yes, again. Only now I’m talking about food for your pets. To many people, pets are like family. Don’t put yourself in that tragic place where you must watch them die because you didn’t prepare for them too.
4. Medication. A tricky question, but get as much of your regular prescriptions as you’re able to obtain, along with painkillers and any other medical items you may need.
5. Flashlight and batteries
6. Battery radio or one that can be cranked for power
7. First aid kit
8. Multi tool, and hopefully a sharp knife
9. Manual can opener
10. BLANKETS and warm clothing for everyone in the home in a place they can easily be accessed. All the food and water in the world aren’t going to help you if you freeze to death.
11. Important papers such as SS cards, birth certificates, etc. Just have them in a place they can be grabbed if you have to get out fast.
12. Cell phone (obviously in today’s world that goes without saying. Never mind that I don’t own one and that mankind survived for tens of thousands of years without them—it’s still on the list.)
13. Toilet paper and other sanitary items—you didn’t think I forgot the Great Toilet Paper Riots of 2020, did you?
14. Weapons and ammunition. Many “survival” lists won’t include this item. I assume they are living in a different world where no one will try to kill you for your food when they didn’t think to prepare for themselves. We, unfortunately, do not live in that world. If you have food, and someone else doesn’t and is hungry, your food is not safe. Believe me.
I won’t get into all the other items you could purchase, items like propane stoves, charcoal, generators, gasoline, etc. If the above list tweaks your interest in emergency preparedness and survival, which I certainly hope it does, there are far vaster resources that are easy to find.
The bottom line here is this: Are you ready? Is one ever ready? That’s a question yet to be answered. But heaven help us all if we don’t at least try.
Editor’s Note: Kirby Jonas is the author of more than two dozen published novels. Kirby and his wife, Debbie, reside in Pocatello, Idaho. You can find his books locally at Idaho Unlimited, 215 E. Cedar Street, in Pocatello. To contact Kirby, email pocatellocowboy@gmail.com.
