9 Reasons to Begin Preparing for an Emergency

1. Job Loss

One of the most unexpected or sometimes expected emergencies that our families face that are ours, alone, is a job loss. If you’re a one income family, the loss of the income can be devastating if it is for an extended amount of time. Even for some families living paycheck to paycheck or less, that devastation can be almost immediate. Being prepared with a supply of food, water, money in the bank, and supplies can help you ride the time period between jobs.

2. Illness/Injury in the Family

Not only for a small emergency like an accident at home that needs some first aid, a reason to perform CPR on someone who has collapsed, to an extended sickness in the family that may mean you can’t get to the grocery store all the time. We need to have a supply of first aid items in our homes that extends beyond a box of band-aids. It’s also important to have some first aid / CPR training. Not only for our families in our homes, but if we’re out and about – we can be the first responder! If you are suffering through a short-term, family-wide bout with a rotovirus, or are living with a family member who is in a long-term illness situation, having a basic pantry and treatment system helps take some of the pressure off the family about who is going to the store next to get meds or Pedialyte or throwing something on the table so the kids can eat while you’re still incapacitated.

3. Car Emergency

If your tire blows on your car on the side of a dark, deep woods road, what are you going to do? What happens if you get stuck in a blizzard on the way home you didn’t expect? What if you run out of gas in the middle of a deserted stretch of road. Having your car prepared for an emergency with needed equipment, and a box of items to help you through until help arrives or you can get out is necessary.

4. Weather Emergency

 Weather emergencies aren’t relegated to a Hurricane on the East Coast or a snowstorm that takes out a region. Weather disasters happen all over the world at all times of the year. You don’t need to worry about preparing for a hurricane if you live in Oklahoma, but in Oklahoma, you DO need to prepare for a tornado, an ice storm, a snow storm, or a drought.

5. Natural Disaster

Natural disasters can effect entire regions and cause huge loss of life and property. One of the biggest things we should be prepared for in these situations is an evacuation. Are you prepared to walk away from your home with an hour’s notice in the case of fast approaching wildfire, or have a plan if your home is destroyed by an earthquake? Do you know what documents to grab, do you have a list of items in your boxes that take, are you prepared with a simple escape plan from your home?

6. Local & Regional Emergency

 Train derailments, power outages, water main breaks, and chemical spills are all things that can disrupt city services for days on end, which may leave you without the ability to go to the store, have clean water, or be safe. Do you have water stored in your home, or a plan on how to quickly store water in an emergency?

7. Economic Collapse/sag

When the ‘recession’ hit in 2009-2010, many families were caught off guard at the soaring prices, the change in consumer spending, and even the ability to keep paying on a home you thought you could afford. What happens when there is an even larger collapse of the economy – do you have food and water and means to grow your own food?
 

8. War

Most of us in the United States don’t really have a concept of what war is like, especially if we haven’t served in the military or have lived abroad in war regions. We might know what war looks like in 20 second snippets on the news and photos in a newspaper, or from stories we’ve heard from family members. We just have no concept of what living through war is like, and I bet few of us think that it will ever actually happen here.

9. Your Family.

If nothing else, look to your spouse and your children. Whether your preparedness is all encompassing in a bunker in Idaho completely off the grid to making sure you have 3-4 days of food in your pantry, your family should be the driving force about why you prepare. It’s your responsibility as a Mom or a Dad or a Caregiver to make sure that you can handle whatever life throws at you to the best of your ability.

Emergency Pet Kits

Gathering Supplies
Pet kits will vary based on what type of animal you have. To simplify this process this kit will be suitable for dogs and cats.

-Food: First on the list is food for your pet. This is very important. Don’t think that you’ll just feed your pet some of your food. Not only will this tap into your supply but a combo of human food and a stressful environment can cause your dog or cat to have an upset stomach, resulting in dehydration. Pack whichever food your animal is currently eating.

-Water: Just like with humans, clean water is nearly as important as food. Unlike with the food, you can give your pets the same water you are drinking. Calculate approximately how much your pet or pets will consume and add that to the supply. Don’t forget a bowl!

-Confinement: You need some sort of confinement for your pet or restraint. Most dogs will simply need a well-fitting collar or harness and a leash. Cats and smaller dogs may need a crate or carrier of some sort. Whichever way you go, make sure it is escape-proof as possible. The last thing you need in a survival situation is your dog to slip its collar and run off exploring. You may also want to pack an extra long lead for tying your dog up if you’ll be leaving your home and camping out.

-Identification and Documentation: Your dog should ideally have an ID tag with some way for people to contact you. Cellphone numbers or addresses work well. You may want to do this for your cat as well in case they get out of their carrier. Carry a photo with you of your pets so that in the event one gets loose people know what to look for. As for documentation, you should have your vet records on hand. This helps verify ownership and prove your pet is properly vaccinated.

-Medication: As with humans, have extra medication for your pet on hand in case you are unable to get a new prescription for some time.

-First-Aid Kit: You can have a pet specific first-aid kit or combine it with your own first-aid kit. Just be sure you mark the pet supplies separate.

The above supplies are the base basics of what you should have in your emergency pet kit. Other things to think about are pet waste bags, wet wipes, toys or some type of bedding that is familiar to your animal (reduces stress), and maybe a backpack for larger dogs. When planning transport and shelter you’ll need to include your pet in your plans as well.

10 Food Items to Always Have In Storage

Whether you are bracing for a potential natural disaster or simply readying yourself for a hungry toddler, having these 10 food items always on hand will make your life easier and your house a little bit more self sustaining.


1. Honey
The best thing about honey is that it never goes bad. It can actually withstand broad temperature variations, and you can use it to sweeten just about anything. If it crystallizes, just reheat it, and it’s good as new.

2. Sugar, Salt, & Pepper
Although these items can cake up, they won’t go bad. Plus, you can use them to flavor absolutely anything. The best part is that in a pinch (get it? A pinch?) you can use salt for curing and medicinally.

3. Nuts, Nut Butter, and Trail Mixes
We always try to have trail mix on hand in my house because it is a fantastic source of protein and fat. You don’t have to refrigerate it, and it’s a good source of healthy energy too.

4. Canned Meat
You can get canned tuna, chicken, salmon, and turkey. Although they are not the healthiest choices and do expire eventually, they are excellent if you really need them.

5. Bottled Water
Sure it’s more of a beverage than a food item, but you still need about 1 gallon per person per day both for drinking and to help you maintain proper hygiene.

6. Rice and Pastas
Rice and pasta are both great sources of carbohydrates. They are really easy to prepare and have a very long shelf life.

7. Canned Fruit & Vegetables
Similar to canned meat, these are not always the healthiest choice because they have a lot of added sugar. However, you can them alongside of meat to create a well balanced meal and get much needed vitamins and minerals in your diet.

8. Flour and Dried Grains
Oatmeal, wheat, and cornmeal can all be used for baking. They are easy to prepare and contain may essential nutrients that your body needs.

9. Dried Milk
Dried milk is actually not as bad as it sounds, and it works really well if you can’t get fresh milk. It has a long shelf life and can be used to drink or in baking.

10. Powdered Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa
These have always been staples in people’s kitchens. After all, how many people do you know who can barely start the day without their cup of coffee? They don’t provide much nutritional value, but the psychological impact is important too!

Of course, if you want to be fully prepared, don’t forget to stock a can opener, a small camping stove, and emergency food for your pets as well just in case you need it.