Daly - Prepping For Survival: Disaster Emergency Preparedness for Disaster survival

No one wants to think about the unthinkable; that is, after all, why we call it the unthinkable. However, the fact is that disasters can and do happen. Whether its a natural disaster like a hurricane or an earthquake or a manmade disaster like war or political upheaval or something almost unimaginable like complete economic or societal collapse, you have to think about what you would do if it were to come to pass.

You probably think that these kinds of cataclysmic events arent terribly likely and youd be right to think so. However, anything can happen and if some kind of catastrophic event does occur, it wont do to be a Pollyanna. If youre a believer in Murphys Law (and you should be), you know, at least at the very back of your mind that you need to be prepared for the worst case scenario. This isnt to say that you cant be optimistic, but you should be prepared for the worst thing that could possibly happen by simultaneously hoping for the best.

If youre fortunate actually, if all of us are fortunate, then you may never need the information contained in this book. None of us hope for disaster, but the possibility of disaster is something that we simply cant ignore; to tell ourselves that it cant happen here (wherever here may happen to be in your case) is, to put it bluntly, dangerous.

Forewarned is forearmed, particularly in the case of some kind of catastrophic event. When you know what to do to keep yourself and those close to you going through even the direst of circumstances, knowledge can make all the difference between survival and death. Were not trying to alarm you, its simply a fact. You need to know how to react and just as importantly, how to prepare to survive when your usual means of meeting the basic needs are no longer available.

In this book, youll learn how to make sure that you have all of the basic needs covered, namely shelter, food and water. Youll learn how to prepare yourself with a set of essential supplies, whether its for a few days or for the long term.

Depending on the nature of the catastrophe youre facing, you may find yourself needing to make your way out of your city and find refuge in the countryside; and well cover how to survive outdoors, including how to create shelter, find food and generally keep yourself alive in the wilderness. If its safer for you to take shelter in the city, survival in an urban setting is also something which well go over in the chapters to follow.

Additionally, well talk about how to survive over the long term if things really go downhill and you find yourself needing to ensure a food supply for a period of years, rather than weeks or months. Again, if were lucky, this isnt something that youll need to know in order to stay alive but if you ever do find yourself in this kind of situation, its knowledge which will be absolutely essential.

Dont panic yet. In fact, dont panic at all. When youre well prepared for any kind of disaster that might come your way, whether manmade or natural, you wont need to, either; youll know what to do, have your supplies at hand and be well prepared to make your way to safety, seek or improvise shelter and generally stay alive until things blow over or help can reach you.

The Scouts (both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) have a motto which could easily serve as the title of this book, just as it does as the title of this chapter: be prepared. Being prepared is key to surviving any kind of cataclysm, whether it comes in the form of flooding, earthquakes, war or any other disaster you care to name. All disasters have something very important in common: the better prepared you are, the better your chances of survival. Being prepared for any emergency situation that might arise also gives you something else which is equally important: peace of mind. For all we know, none of these catastrophes may affect you in your entire lifetime but if youre ready for them, youll definitely sleep better at night knowing that youre ready for anything that comes your way.

Be prepared. Its a rule to live by; and if something does happen, its a rule which could quite literally save your life.

Getting Started

The first question that naturally arises here is what exactly youll need to be prepared to survive a natural disaster or other threatening event. The short answer is that it really depends. For instance, the kinds of supplies that youll need will depend a great deal on where you live; surviving a disaster in a city is different than making it through a similar event in a suburban or rural area. The climate in the area also makes a difference you wont need the same supplies in a subtropical or tropical climate as you would in a temperate or cold climate, for instance.

However, there are some basics which youll need no matter where you live or what the weather tends to be like, so well talk about these first. Well cover outdoor survival later on in this book; for starters, well assume that youre able to take refuge in your own home.

No matter where you are, youre going to need to provide for the three basic needs: food, water and shelter. Without these, youre not going to make it no matter how well prepared you are otherwise. Lets take a look at what youll need to survive in your home when youre cut off from the services and amenities youre used to having access to.

Food

In the event of a disaster of any kind, its likely that your access to your usual food sources (for most of us, that means the grocery store) will be disrupted, especially if you happen to live in the suburbs or a rural area. Certainly, those of us who live in cities might have the opportunity to loot for these essentials, but in a truly dire situation, it isnt likely that youll be the first person to have that idea and readers should take note that we absolutely do not endorse looting except in truly life or death situations.

Since youre not going to be shopping at your local markets any time soon, one of the most important things you can do to prepare and ensure your survival is to have ample food supplies on hand to sustain yourself and the rest of your household for a time. Exactly how much food you need, again, depends on a number of factors: how many people you anticipate needing to feed, how long you expect to be without any other food sources and of course, how much storage space you have available.

Keep in mind that even though your food supplies will consist of non-perishable food, there are very few food items (with the possible exception of honey) which are truly non-perishable. In other words, youre going to need to replace your stocks of food periodically as their expiration dates near a large supply of spoiled food is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing as not having any food on hand at all.

Basic Supplies for Short Term Survival

If all you think you need is enough to live on for a few days to a week in case of a natural disaster where help is likely to reach you in a fairly short time, then you can probably get by with a small basic supply. A good rule of thumb is to keep enough non-perishable food on hand to last for three days to a week; remember that youll need enough for everyone in your household and probably a little extra, just in case. Youll also want to keep food on hand for any pets you may have in your home.

What Kind of Food Should You Store?

One thing to remember is that if something disastrous happens, you may not be able to cook, so what youll want are food items which dont require cooking. Think canned goods which can be eaten as is, peanut butter, dehydrated foods, crackers and other food which will last for a long time, do not need to be refrigerated and need little to no preparation.