Prepping For A Natural Disaster

Some emergencies and crises are man-made – others are obviously natural disasters.

In the UK, property damage and physical injuries may be caused by storms, floods, other extreme weather events involving snow and ice – and even earth tremors and minor earthquakes are not unknown.

Since natural disasters may occur with even less warning and are potentially even more unpredictable, how can you prepare for the fallout from them?

Prepping

• something that comes as second nature to any prepper is the need to plan for the unexpected – which can happen at any time, of course;

• preparing for natural disasters is no exception and the very first step, therefore, is to give the possibility some serious thought, decide what you will be able to ride out the disaster in the most healthy and safest way possible and hatch a plan accordingly;

Turn off utilities

• during any natural disaster you are likely to have to turn off – at least temporarily – utilities such as gas, electricity, and water;

• the last thing you want to be doing is fumbling around in the dark finding out how to do that while a gale, or some such, rages outside – so, learn how to do it well in advance;

• make sure you have a torch or candles handy;

Communication

• one of the first of the vital services to suffer disruption during a natural disaster may be your ability to communicate – telephone lines may be down, or broadband services may become unreliable;

• nevertheless, suggests the British Red Cross, arrange for someone outside your immediate area or neighbourhood who can coordinate whatever communications you still have;

• that designated point of contact can let members of your family know you are safe and pass messages back and forth between you and your loved ones;

Contacts

• make a list of the most important telephone contacts you may need – communication may be difficult but is unlikely to become totally absent for long;

• numbers should include emergency services – such as the police, fire and ambulance services, and your local GP’s surgery – and also close family members;

The official response

• there is already in place a nationwide network of multi-agency partnerships and organisations primed to swing into action in the face of a natural disaster;

• they are called local resilience forums (LRFs) and are made up of representatives from the emergency services, local government, public utilities, the NHS, and the Environment Agency – all trained to coordinate the official response to a natural disaster and its aftermath;

• where necessary, LRFs may call upon the military and any number of voluntary organisations to help with the response;

Assembly point

• in the confusion at the height of any natural disaster and immediately thereafter, it can be difficult keeping in touch with family members even when they live close by – arrange a safe meeting place or rendezvous point in advance, therefore, to be used if all other means of communication fail;

• remember that the already sick or vulnerable will need special attention and care during any emergency – they may need your help in getting to a place of safety;

• you will also need to plan in advance how best to protect and care for any pets and animals caught up in the damage and disruption caused by the natural disaster.

Grab bag

Also known as a bug out bag, this is a bag you should have to hand that has all the necessities in it in case of emergency. We have a brief checklist in our blog here: Survival Equipment Kit: What Do I Need?. You can also buy purpose made grab bags as well, such as from Amazon.

Being prepared

How to prep for a natural disaster? The question is relevant because many countries have so-called “Preparedness” weeks or months to promote the cause for prepping for emergencies and disasters.

This year’s Emergency Preparedness Week happened to fall during May in the Canadian province of British Columbia, for example – though it is typically marked in the UK in the Autumn.

Further reading: Need to know: Bug Out Bag UK