Natural Disaster Ready?

Have you ever been out of food, water or power for any given amount of time? As hours go by and still no power, your supplies are lacking and panic begins to sink in. Being in the National Guard, I am always being reminded to be prepared for natural disasters in my home and for my family. It helps out tremendously to be prepared so that if you find yourself in a natural disaster, you won't get caught with your pants down.
If your in the National Guard, then you know it pays to be prepared since we normally get activated to pull hurricane duty which could take you away from your home of record. Luckily, I was ready in 2004, I had to help out in the small city of Destin, Fl which was devastated by hurricane Ivan.

I was reading my GX mag (the guard experience) and with still having over 30 days left of hurricane season, I thought it would be a great idea to share this article about 7 items you need to be disaster ready. Every house should be disaster ready especially living in the Tampa Bay area. We have had our share of flooding, tropical storms and hurricanes throughout our area.

1. Thirty? You should have enough water for at least three days. Make sure you have no less than a gallon of water per person per day. Purchased water is best but you can fill empty containers up with tap water too. It's still water and won't kill you.
2. Hungry? Have plenty of nonperishable foods for three days. These include canned foods, dry mixes and food that's not refrigerated. Examples are beef jerky, trail mixes, granola bars and maybe some MREs (Meals-Ready-to Eat) if your lucky like me. I saved some from training and they will last forever.
3. Crank Radio/Battery operated tunes. To have contact with the outside world and updated news, you will need a radio. The best case scenario is to have a hand crank radio. If not, a battery operated one is fine just as long as you have replacement batteries in case the ones in it are dead. I still have an old school alarm clock radio and never check the back-up battery. It's imperative to check and have back-ups. That reminds me...
4. Afraid of the dark? I hope not. You better have at least a couple flashlights on hand. And that being said, I will reemphasize checking the batteries and having spares on hand. They even have ones you can precharge by solar power or the ever trusty hand crank flashlight.
5. Cut yourself in the storm? A First-Aid Kit is a must. Make sure to have some gauze, medical tape, disposable gloves, antibiotic towelettes and ointment, adhesive bandages, eye wash solution, scissors and some pain relievers such as aleve or aspirin. If you have any prescription medication it would be a good idea to put some spare pills in this kit too.
6. Tools. You never know. A simple pair of pliers could help in the event you had to shut off a water pipe or a natural gas leak. Many explosions and fires happen after natural disasters. So gather up some pliers, vise grips, a couple different screwdrivers and possibly a hammer. You never know.
7. Some Miscellaneous gear. Some other key things that might be helpful are: Cleaning supplies, waterless shampoo, toilet paper, garbage bags and zip ties for sanitation, dust mask, and of course duct tape.

Now remember this is for a preparation for a natural disaster not a zombie apocalypse. In the case when a natural disaster strikes, be smart and go to the middle of your house away from windows or down to your basement. If you have family, you need to make sure everyone is on the same sheet of music as well as an evacuation plan in place and possible meet up location pre-determined. I know there is only some 40 days left of hurricane season but it is Florida and shit happens. Don't get caught with your pants down, be prepared for your sake and your family. For more insight, visit Ready.gov to help in your planning.