Disaster preparedness is well understood to be extremely important for individuals and business, but there is still a lot of apathy toward actually preparing for a serious natural disaster. With the worldwide occurrence of natural disasters it is simultaneously easy to think that a catastrophe can occur at any moment and that one will never affect you. From earthquakes spawning tsunamis spawning floods to urban fires and hazardous material spills, disasters come in many forms and everyone is at risk. Even with this knowledge, disaster preparedness on both a city/state/province wide scale and on an individual level is often lacking.

Prioritizing Preparation

While disaster preparedness is rarely a top priority for most people day to day, it should still be weighed as an effort that could save your life. On an individual level it is important that people be prepared to be self sufficient for at least seven days. Infrastructure is likely to be severely compromised or outright destroyed, making resources scarce and stressed. It is important, therefore, that you don’t expect to rely on state resources in the aftermath of a disaster–at least not in the event of a severe emergency or numerous emergencies requiring a lot of resources. Because of this, having the resources to remain prepared for a prolonged period of time is practically a necessity after any calamitous event.

Natural disaster cost billions of dollars in infrastructure damage every year and take a personal toll on communities. While increasing investments in disaster resistant infrastructure and warning systems is ideal, raising awareness about the importance of individual preparation is key to combating the effects of disasters on a smaller, local scale. Keeping emergency preparedness kits is an important part of day to day preparation. You should keep a kit and home as well as in your vehicle.

Food and water rations, first aid kits, blankets, flashlights, matches, radios, a fully charged cell phone, and essential personal items are all basics that should be included in any kit. For vehicle kits, make sure you have essential tools and mechanical items to address any repairs from breakdowns. The most important thing to keep in mind is that preparation must be an active process that requires time to do right. Dedicating yourself to getting yourself ready for a disaster is critical to mitigating damage and putting the pieces back together sooner rather than later.