September is National Preparedness Month

Earthquake in the east coast, Hurricane Irene, and Wildfires of Central Texas - all happened in less than a month's time. The truth is you just never know when something like that will happen again. It's not just about the larger scale events that we all need to prepare for - it's the daily emergencies as well.

We saw people buying useless things like ice cream, seafood, and flatscreen TVs a day before hurricane Irene was supposed to hit. Obviously, not a wise choice. Did they not think the power might be out? How would they keep up with news? They were better off getting non-perishables (canned food), and a battery/solar-powered/crank-powered multiple band radio.

Hey, I'm new at this too. The amount of info available online is immense. Just take it one step at a time and get your family involved. More than likely, everything you need to pack a Go Bag / Bug out bag is already available to you in your own home.

Some basics that I've learned (I'll develop a post for each one, keep an eye out for it)

1) Have a go bag ready also known as a bug out bag. - the contents will vary and keep it relevant to what you really need, please keep any special medical needs in mind)

2) Stockpile supplies at home. - flashlights, batteries, water (both for drinking and hygienic purposes), food that has a long shelf life, first aid kit, etc.

3) Prep your ride - have a car/motorcycle/RV? Keep it well-equipped with a bag or box of supplies as well.

4) Plan for your pets too!

5) Keep a centralized location for your important documents and IDs.


Additional sites to get more info:
http://www.ready.gov/

Your state/area usually has a good website to inform and assist you with preparedness stuff - Google is your friend. =)

For example, here's the NYC page for my neck of the woods.
NYC preparedness page

That's it for now. Next post - more about bug out bags.