It seems that the friendly waters may become turbulent. The U.S. and Iran are playing cat and mouse and it could get ugly. President Trump deployed the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln to the Gulf. So, it begins. I hope you read this article and come to a conclusion to prepare. Personally, I think now is the time to take prepping seriously. China has called in their debt which mean they could possibly tank our economy by requesting the TRILLION dollar debt owed to them. In addition, they, the US, has deployed more aircraft carriers to the region. According to this article from The Washington Post we may be in this alone. The dominos are slowly falling. Its time to prepare before we are affected by their war time games. After you read the article, think about starting your Family Emergency Plan.
FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN
1. Know your area and what disasters are possible. If you live in a flood plain or your town is on an active fault line, you need to plan accordingly. Check ready.gov for what to expect in your area.
2. Create a basic emergency supply kit.
WATER- Have one gallon per person, per day, for the length of time you feel you will need —for drinking and sanitation);
FOOD & SUPPLIES – Have at least at minimum a three-day supply of nonperishable item in addition to manual can opener; hand-cranked or battery-powered radio; flashlight; extra batteries; moist towelettes and garbage bags (for sanitation needs); first-aid kit; whistle (to signal for help); wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities); N95 or P100 mask to start. Go to Ready.gov for the full list of supplies.
3. Consider a few extra items, depending on your family’s needs. The items could be: Food, medication, and toys for pets; infant formula and diapers; extra eyeglasses; an extra prescription slip or refill of important medications (talk to your doctor); comfortable shoes and change of clothing for each family member; blankets or sleeping bags.
4. Create a EDC (Every Day Carry) bag. Everyday carry are items that are consistently carried on your person every day. The main reasons for having a EDC is to help individuals overcome simple everyday problems, and to prepare someone for unexpected and possibly dangerous situations when away from home. The EDC has items that you would need to get home safely. ie: flashlight, knife, water, fire starter, signal mirror, emergency blanket, poncho, etc.
5. Create emergency kits. A Bug Out Bag (BOB) is a portable kit that contains the items needed to survive for 72 hours when evacuating from a disaster. When you grab this bag, know your evacuation routes. Have more than one option for getting out of town quickly. Use the maps recommended in number 13 below. If your preplanned evacuation route isn’t passable, you can navigate back roads, if necessary.
6. Designate family meeting spots. Pick an area near the home to meet in the event you can’t get home and a location that is in the region, in case everyone is scattered around the city. Have a out-of-town location, should your family have to evacuate separately.
7. Select an out-of-town contact. Name one family member or friend who can serve as a point person if your family is separated. Family member can call the out of town contact for information and to check in.
8. Buy phone books. Everyone in the family should have a list of important contacts with them at all times. Make sure to include numbers for the office, your spouse/partner’s office, your children’s schools, day care, doctors, and close family members, etc. Include the numbers of your health and homeowner’s insurance companies, as well as policy numbers.
9. Write down important personal information. In the phone book, note any medical conditions you have. For young children, record date of birth, address, and medical conditions. You can print out a template listing all of this info at ready.gov.
10. Know the emergency plan of your children’s schools. If your kids are evacuated from school or daycare, where do they go? Where can you pick them up? If old enough to understand, make sure they know the family meeting spot.
11. Have a family meeting. Make sure everyone knows and understands your emergency plan. Talk about meeting points, discuss fire safety, and have kids get involved in making the emergency supply kit. They may alert you to something you may have forgotten.
12. Create a pantry in your home. Take a look around your home for a place to store your food supply. Consider a linen closet, under a bed, etc. Start purchasing extra items like water and place those item in your pantry. Note the date of the food items and use the oldest dates first. For instance if a item has the year 2017 use or eat that first and rotate them accordingly.
13. Create 3 routes to and away from home. Gather a state, city and neighborhood maps of your area. You will want paper maps just in case the grid is down. Go online to research for your city/state hazards map. The map should show all of the hazards that you will want to avoid when traveling during a disaster. For each map you should have at least 3 routes. The state map will be the map to get you out of the state. The city map should have routes from work to home or from a location that you are at daily, and the neighborhood map should have routes to the family meeting location, schools, churches, and any location that may have resources. Customize the maps to your daily routine and lifestyle.
GET PREPARED, STAY PREPARED
~Afrovivalist
