From BigBerkeyWaterFilters.com: Top 5 Home Survival Tips and Supplies

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Survival tips and supplies are necessary for situations where natural disasters cut off amenities and supplies. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and floods can happen suddenly without warning.

The effects can last for some days, and it is important to have some survival tips and supplies that will increase the chances of your well-being, safety, and survival. You can put together a number of supplies to ensure that you are safe and comfortable when such disasters hit. Some of the essential things you can get are water, food supplies, medical supplies, other essential supplies, and a power source.

Water

Water is crucial for human survival. It is recommended that you store or have access to enough water to supply one gallon of water per person for three days. You can store enough water, but it may run out, especially if the water supplies remain affected by the natural disaster. If you are wondering, is rainwater safe to drink? Yes, rainwater is safe to drink when it is treated.

Rainwater is pure but may be polluted by environmental pollutants which are in the air. To make the water safe for drinking, you can use a filter to clean the trapped rainwater to make it safe to drink. Disasters, such as flooding, may cause pollution of the main water sources, where sewer lines could get mixed up with the main water supply. To ensure you have sufficient clean drinking water, use an efficient water filter system to have safe water for drinking.

You may be able to use the contaminated water in the toilets and showers, but it may be better to have a personal purification water system to have clean drinking water.

It is especially important to have clean drinking water to avoid a breakout of diseases caused by drinking contaminated water. Using a water filter, boiling drinking water, and disinfecting the water will help treat it to kill germs and parasites to be safer for human consumption. However, in some cases, you may need to carry out more than just one treatment, especially for water that may have more than one pollutant.

Food Supplies

Food is the next essential item to ensure survival in times when disasters hit. In case there is an earthquake or a tornado, you may not have access to the supermarket and food store. It is important to have supplies that you can use for some time for the period you will not be able to buy any fresh food items.

To create an adequate food supply that will help you survive during a disaster, you can buy extra supplies every time you go shopping. The best items are non-perishable food items, as these will not expire anytime soon. Buy long-life foods such as cereals, dried fruits and nuts, and crackers.

Another excellent option for survival supplies is highly nutritious foods that last long, such as peanut butter and granola, which have a high protein content. High energy foods are a good option since a little food goes a long way in keeping you healthy and energized.

Canned foods are another great option since they are well preserved and will last long. They come in a variety of options from meats, fruits, vegetables, and even soup. They will provide a wide range of nutritious meals. It is more important to have nutritious meals instead of junk food because you want to remain healthy throughout the survival period to give you better chances of coming out of the disaster unscathed. If you have a baby or pet, ensure that you stock their foods as well. Also, store the utensils you will use, cutlery, and essential items such as can openers, knives, and cutlery necessary to prepare and eat the meals.

Standard Supplies

Once you have taken care of the food and water supplies, make a list of items that will be essential to you and your loved ones during a disaster. Items such as having a fully charged cell phone will be important to reach out to emergency care or loved ones when you can. Ensure the mobile phone is charged fully, and you have the charger with you. If you can have more than one, then that is a better option.

You can also have extra clothing to change from wet clothing or if your clothing becomes damaged by fire. Ensure that you have supplies of warm clothing for especially cold months where the natural disasters could cut power off, which makes it impossible to have heating for some time.

Ensure that you have beddings and blankets which will keep you warm in case you are trapped in your home during winter without power for some time. Have plastic sheeting, which will protect your items from getting wet, especially for the clothes and beddings. You can also use it to create a temporary shelter when need be.

Other items can be a flashlight, matches, candles, which are useful when you do not have access to power regularly. A battery-operated radio will provide information and updates, and a whistle will alert emergency personnel of your whereabouts if you need to be evacuated from your position. Protective masks are important to keep you protected from inhaling dangerous fumes.

First Aid Supplies

These are medical supplies that will be useful in offering first aid treatment before getting to a hospital and receiving professional treatment. The chances of getting injured by falling debris, floating objects, or even flying items during a hurricane or tornado are high. A first aid kit will help stop a building and clean up the wound to ensure it doesn’t get infected.

Some things that must be in the first aid kit are sterile pads in different sizes to help staunch blood flow and keep wounded areas protected and adhesive bandages and band-aids of different sizes to cover wounds. It is important to have alcohol wipes to clean injured areas and kill germs to prevent infection, scissors, tweezers to remove splinters and small debris.

A thermometer is important to keep track of temperature as this will let you know if a small child has a fever or an injured person has an infection. Latex gloves are best used to clean wounds to prevent new infection, antiseptic, painkillers, antihistamine creams and spray, which help with allergies, and antibiotic cream, which can help prevent spreading infections in wounds.

However, stock only what you need without having excess medical supplies that you don’t know how to use and when best to use them. You can create your first aid medical kit from scratch, or you can buy an available standard kit. You can stock it up with additional items based on what you need.

Power Back Up

Power is crucial for many things, such as providing heating and air-con services; we use power to see and charge energy-based devices such as phones and laptops. If you can, it may be a good option to have a backup power supply such as a generator to provide power for home appliances. These generators will be either gas-powered or diesel-powered generators that will provide power when there is no electricity.

The bigger the battery power, the longer it can last and power multiple home appliances. Ensure that you have bought and safely stored enough gas or diesel to power the generator. When not in use, service it periodically to ensure that it remains in optimal condition and is not damaged.

You can also use solar power and battery-operated power sources. Ensure that your solar panels are well protected and fixed so that they do not fly off and get damaged during a flood, tornado, or hurricane. Ensure that you have stocked up on enough batteries to last for a long time so that you are not left without power. Portable power units and generators are best because you can move with them from room to room when need be.

Conclusion

You cannot perfectly prepare for a disaster, but you can adequately prepare for it so that you are cushioned against harm, and you remain as safe as you possibly can while meeting your basic needs.

Ensure that you have enough supplies for everyone in your family and cater to members who may need special supplies such as babies, older family members, and pets. Have an evacuation plan in place should you need to and ensure that everyone in the family knows what to do to remain safe during a disaster. Periodically check on your survival supplies to ensure they remain fresh and in good working order, ready for the day when you need them. Don’t forget to keep in store safe drinking water.

It is important to remain calm to respond to a disastrous situation around you better. In cases of extreme danger, reacting in panic can make dangerous moves that will result in injuries. For instance, in floods, you may be tempted to jump down from a flooded house, leading to your leg breaking. But if you are calm, you will be able to wade through the flooded house, go to the designated safe area and change out of your wet clothes into warmer ones, averting disaster.