- Strap your water heater to the wall.
This is not intended to be a complete list of what you need to do to be prepared for the next wind or snowstorm or earthquake, but it is a start and everyone needs to start somewhere. Some of these ideas were taken from the book Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg. To get more information about what you need to do to be prepared, please see the Resources section of this article.
Start today so your family can rest assured you are prepared.
Resources
To help you get started, here are some resources that I know you will find helpful:
1. Organize for Disaster—by Judith Kolberg, available at www.squallpress.net
Organize for Disaster is the most comprehensive book or document I have found to help people prepare. Judith is a well-known veteran in the Organizing Industry, specializing in this area.
Also available at squallpress.net are free forms to help you prepare; including: Medical Information, Vital Contact Information, and Family Communication/Reunion
2. Family Disaster Supplies & Preparedness Calendar —by Chevron, USA—available here. This 4-page calendar is broken down into a few items you should purchase each week, and a few things you need to do each week for six months in order to create your disaster center. I found this guide to helpful in breaking it down into “bite-sized” pieces.
3. A Guide to Being Prepared for when Disruptive Events Occur—by Cracolici & Associates—a 20-page FREE publication available here
Some of the information you’ll find in the guide is:
- Purchasing items for your stockpile
- Infant needs & non-food items
- Other “stuff” you may need
- Planning for infrastructure disruptions
- Power outages
- Water supply disruption/contamination
- Clothing needed to evacuate
- Emergency items in your vehicles
- Basic medical needs, health supplies/equipment
- Special needs & refrigerated medicines
© 2007 Eliminate Chaos, LLC
