Typhoons, floods, earthquakes, droughts-the unpredictable effects of global warming and conflict can endanger thousands of lives in an instant. The most intelligent among us will prepare to survive whenever disaster strikes. Keep reading to learn how to take care of your basic needs and handle emergency situations with intelligence and skill.
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Part 1 of 3: Designing an Emergency Plan
Step 1. Make sure your home is designed to be disaster resistant
Is your home sturdy enough to stand up against strong winds, floods, and extreme temperatures? Protection is a basic survival need, so make sure you can keep yourself and your family safe no matter what. Take the following precautions to ensure your home will provide protection in an emergency:
- If you live in an area where earthquakes are likely to occur, make sure your home is earthquake resistant. If you rent out a house or live in an apartment building, talk to the landlord about these precautions.
- Have a fire safety plan. Make sure you don't get trapped in the house in the event of a fire. All doors and windows should be able to be opened easily. Rooms on the top floor of the building should also have an accessible egress or a portable emergency ladder that can be attached to a window and lowered to the ground.
- Check house insulation. Make sure there are no cracks around the windows in the door that let in outside air. If the power goes out, you need to keep the air warm in the house and not let cold air in, or vice versa.
- Consider having a generator as backup power. This is especially wise if you live in an area with very cold seasons; maybe you should warm the house when the temperature drops.
Step 2. Create a safe storage area
Whether it's a barn, onion room, attic, or other type of storage area, you need a waterproof, sun-resistant, and intruder-safe room to store supplies and equipment for survival.
- Cover the storage space with a waterproof plastic sheeting so your supplies don't get damp or moldy.
- Make sure there are no cracks or other openings for insects, mice, and other creatures to enter the storage space and reach your supplies.
- Place shelves for storing food and other supplies out of the way on the floor, so they don't get damaged easily.
- Put a lock on the door to secure supplies from uninvited guests.
Step 3. Fill the storage space with food and water supplies
When a disaster strikes, you need enough food and water to survive for a while until you get a fresh supply. It's impossible to know how long the condition will last, so it's wise to have enough food and drink to last for at least a few months.
- Store enough water for your family's needs for several months. Remember that you also need water for personal hygiene, cooking, and other purposes.
- Choose non-perishable foods that meet basic nutritional needs. Canned foods such as meat, vegetables, fruit, beans, and soups are good choices. Dry foodstuffs such as flour, fruit, nuts, pasta, rice, and so on can also last a long time without spoiling.
Step 4. Provide medical supplies
Provide medical supplies that are more than just a first aid kit and stock up on supplies for the months you might need in an emergency. Store medical supplies in watertight and airtight containers in storage rooms. Make sure you provide many of the following requirements:
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Pain medicine
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- Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide
- Thermometer
- Equipment for making splints
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Tweezers and scissors
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Antibiotic ointment
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Step 5. Provide extra clothes, shoes and blankets
You will need clothes to suit all weathers. Keep clothing that is waterproof, boots that will protect your feet, and other clothing needed to survive in a specific environment.
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Wool and fabrics that evaporate sweat into the outside air are better survival options than cotton, which holds moisture against the skin.
Survive Step 5Bullet1 - Keep some change of clothes in the storage room.
Step 6. Standby the car
Make sure your car is always in good condition in case you have to leave the area. Prepare an extra fuel canister in case the fuel cannot be accessed at the gas station. Fill the trunk with a first aid kit, blankets, and other essentials you may need if you have to leave.
Step 7. Discuss an escape plan with your family
Talking about what to do in the event of a disaster is one of the best ways to ensure your family survives. Plan accordingly for your area and consider the types of disasters you might encounter-hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and more.
- Find out where you can find safe shelter if you have to leave the house in a hurry
- Have a signal you can use to alert your family when it's time to act. Make sure all family members know their part, whether it's saving pets, making sure windows are closed and locked, filling teapots with water, etc.
- Have a plan in place in case your family members get separated. Make sure everyone knows where to go and how to find each other.
Step 8. Pack the backpack ready to lift
In extreme cases you may have to leave the house to get out of an emergency situation. You will not be able to carry all the items that have been stored; You should bring what can fit in your backpack. Pack a ready-to-lift backpack for this purpose, one for each family member. Fill with enough supplies for a week or so.
- The backpack should contain a change of clothes, enough dry food for a week, enough water for a week, a small water filter, a water purification tablet, a waterproof lighter, a small first aid kit, a map of your area, emergency contact information, and a copy of the family safety plan..
- Place all of those backpacks in an easily accessible location so you and your family can grab them right away and run if you have to.
Part 2 of 3: Learning Useful Skills
Step 1. Learn how to filter and purify water
You can only save water in disaster preparation; later, you may have to get your own clean water supply. Water from rivers, streams, creeks and lakes today almost always contains pollutants, so knowing how to filter and purify water is a very useful and crucial survival skill.
- If you don't have a water filter, you can make your own using charcoal, gravel and sand.
- When you run out of water purification tablets, boil drinking water until it boils.
Step 2. Know how to identify natural food sources
Learn about the wild plants, fruits, tubers, and other natural food sources available in your area. Take lessons from a botanist in your area, or head to the library to learn about the wealth of resources in forests, wetlands or other areas near you. Also learn about animal food sources.
- Learn how to catch, clean and cook fish.
- Learn what insects are healthy to eat.
- Learn how to hunt squirrels, rabbits and deer. Knowing how to remove the internal organs of the animal you are hunting is also important.
Step 3. Practice the skill of starting a fire
You'll need to know how to find moss and dry bark that catches fire easily, pile twigs around to burn them, and start a fire with slow-burning pieces of wood. Knowing how to start a fire is a basic survival skill you need to stay warm, for cooking, sterilizing equipment, and other necessities.
Step 4. Know the basic first aid skills
In a survival situation, you may be in a position to provide medical care for someone in need. You will be more confident if you take courses and are certified in basic first aid and advanced procedures.
- Learn how to give CPR to adults, children and infants.
- Know the proper way to deal with shock.
- Learn how to treat hypothermia.
- Know how to save people from drowning.
Step 5. Know how to repair a car
You won't be able to make appointments with mechanics if you're running from disaster, so it's a good idea if you have basic mechanical skills. When your car breaks down, no one will be able to fix it except you.
- Learn how to fix a broken car.
- Know how to stop the car heating.
- Review your car type and familiarize yourself with how the engine operates.
Step 6. Stay physically fit
Surviving an emergency may put you in a position that requires walking long distances, carrying very heavy loads, enduring extreme temperatures, doing hard work with your hands, and staying healthy without a lot of food and water to maintain strength. Keeping in shape before a disaster strikes will put you in the best position to survive.
- Build resilience by setting aside time for a long walk or run a few times per week. Practice on steep hills and exercise in very hot and cold weather.
- Try to work your muscles so that you will be able to lift heavy objects and walk long distances with the weight on your back.
- Knowing how to swim is also an important skill to have if you are going to be near water.
Part 3 of 3: Facing Unpredictable Disasters
Step 1. Get to know your environment
Each region of the world has a different type of threat to consider. What kinds of disasters are likely to threaten safety in your area? It is important for you to know what disaster preparation steps are recommended by the local government.
- Make sure you know what to do if you hear the warning siren go off. Depending on your area, the sirens may mean that you need to seek cover, move to a safe location, or take other action.
- If the weather looks threatening, turn on the radio and follow any instructions you may hear.
- If the city government advises you to evacuate, get to a safe location as soon as possible.
Step 2. Know how to weather a storm
The severity of these hurricanes around the world is increasing. Knowing what safety measures to take when a strong storm strikes will increase your chances of survival.
- When a tornado occurs, seek cover. Go to a safe basement or a windowless location; don't go for a ride.
- If a typhoon strikes, you may need to evacuate to a safe and sheltered place.
- To survive an earthquake, drop to the floor, cover your head, and continue like that until the earthquake ends.
Step 3. Know how to survive extreme natural situations
If you have to face bad weather without safe cover, you need to know how to survive exposure to extreme cold and heat, and other natural events. Do your best to prepare yourself with the following steps:
- If you are in a snowy place, you must know how to survive in the snow and deal with avalanches. Remember that snow itself is an effective insulator, so making a snow cave to survive inclement snow is a great way to survive.
- If you're in cold water, don't use all your energy to swim; Be still and find something to keep you afloat until someone comes to the rescue.
- Protect yourself from dust and sand by dampening a piece of cloth and holding it against your face.
- Protect yourself from the sun to avoid the deadly heatstroke.
- Learn how to protect against animal attacks just in case you run into sharks, bears, stray dogs, bees, or other animals that might threaten you.
Tips
- Read books on local flora and fauna so that you will become more familiar with your area.
- Explore nature and camp to get used to outdoor survival.
