Whether it’s the weather, an earthquake, a blackout, or another out-of-the-blue event, preparing for anything that might disrupt ordinary life is just good sense. You don’t have to go full survivalist and line your basement with canned goods and bottled water, but you will want to do some strategizing and organizing and stockpiling in advance to make sure your family can ride out a brief period of inconvenience in relative comfort.
Power Play
Ask yourself: Am I prepared to go for days without my phone and tablet and laptop and TV? And if you do feel that independent of your tech devices, ask yourself a second question: Am I prepared to tolerate days and days of my kids being without their phones and tablets and laptops and TVs?
In addition to non-electronic entertainment, a Generac Generator may be your only defense against endless questions and whining. Plus, you know, keeping you in lights and refrigeration and climate control and all that is pretty useful too. You’ll also want to stock up on batteries, put fresh ones in helpful emergency gear like radios, and make sure all rechargeable devices are topped off if it looks like a storm is headed your way.
Basic Necessities
Then, sure, you’ll need food and water too. In addition to what your human family members will need for a few days away from a supermarket, make sure you have provisions for your critters as well, including pet food and litter. If any family member of whatever species requires medication or medical equipment, keep a little extra on hand if at all possible. Bear in mind that there are non-food items you’ll probably need too, from paper plates to matches to diapers. Notice the things your family uses over a three-day period and jot down anything you’d want to have on hand.
A Simple Plan
As important as it is to have all these useful items ready to go, there’s one useless thing you’ll want to get rid of before the unexpected happens: panic. Sit down with your family and develop a plan so everyone knows what preparation is in place, what everyone will need to do, and where away-from-home family members will meet if phones and texts are suddenly unavailable. Role-play with kids and practice getting out of the house if you have to. The more comfortable family members feel with your emergency plans, the less worried you’ll be beforehand and the more efficient if something ever does happen.
No one can ever be absolutely ready for the unpredictable and unthinkable. But every little bit of preparation helps. For additional tips on getting prepared, be sure to check out the Untrained Housewife Guide to Getting Prepared!
