Could Your Family Make It Through the First Week?

September is National Preparedness Month, and it is a good time to ask ourselves a simple question:

If a major disaster happened today, could your household make it through the first week?

Think about what that week might look like.

The power could be out. Cell service and internet could be unreliable. Stores may be closed or quickly run out of essential supplies. Roads could be damaged or blocked. Gas stations may not be operating. Emergency responders could be overwhelmed with calls, and outside assistance may take time to reach your neighborhood.

For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, earthquakes are an obvious concern, but preparedness is not just about earthquakes. Windstorms, flooding, wildfires, winter weather, extended power outages, and other emergencies can all disrupt the services we normally depend upon.

The goal of preparedness is not to predict exactly what will happen.

It is to make sure you have options when something does happen.

Start With the Basics

Take a few minutes this week and look at what your household already has.

Do you have enough drinking water?

Do you have food that can be prepared without electricity?

Do you have flashlights, batteries, and backup power?

Do you have necessary medications and basic first-aid supplies?

Do you have a way to receive emergency information if the power and internet are unavailable?

What about sanitation supplies, warm clothing, blankets, pet supplies, and other necessities your household depends upon every day?

You do not have to purchase everything at once. Preparedness can be built a little at a time.

Add a case of water this week. Pick up a few shelf-stable meals next week. Buy an extra flashlight, batteries, first-aid supplies, or a portable power bank when your budget allows.

Over time, those small steps can create a much more prepared household.

Your Emergency Kit Is Only Part of the Plan

Supplies are important, but preparedness also means knowing what you will do.

Talk with the people in your household.

Where will you meet if you cannot return home?

Who will you contact if local phone service is overwhelmed?

How will you communicate with family members who are at work or school?

What will you do with your pets?

Does everyone know where emergency supplies are located?

Consider the people around you as well. An older neighbor, someone with a disability, or another family nearby may need assistance after a disaster.

Strong communities begin with prepared households.

Make Two Weeks Your Goal

For many years, people were encouraged to prepare for at least three days. Three days of supplies is certainly better than having nothing, but major disasters can create disruptions that last much longer.

A better long-term goal is to work toward having two weeks of emergency supplies for everyone in your household.

That may sound like a lot, especially if you are just getting started, but you do not have to build a two-week supply all at once.

Start with three days.

Then work toward one week.

From there, continue building until your household can reasonably support itself for two full weeks.

Think about water, food, medications, sanitation, lighting, communications, backup power, pet supplies, and the other essentials your family would need if normal services were unavailable.

Two weeks of preparedness gives your household more flexibility and more options when recovery takes longer than expected.

Preparedness is not something you finish in one afternoon. It is something you continuously improve.

Take One Step This Week

National Preparedness Month is not about being afraid of the next disaster.

It is about being ready for it.

Take ten minutes sometime this week and walk through your home. Look at your food, water, emergency lighting, first aid, communications, medications, and other essential supplies.

Identify one thing you can improve.

Then do it.

One small action today can make a significant difference when your family actually needs it.

And if you need help building or improving your emergency supplies, LMD Disaster Survival Kits & Supply offers disaster kits, emergency supplies, and preparedness products designed to help individuals and families take those next steps toward being better prepared.

You cannot control when the next emergency will happen.

You can control how ready you are when it does.

Start where you are. Build a little at a time. Make two weeks your goal.

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Michael Cady, MSDM, NEMAA, is the owner of LMD Disaster Survival Kits and an emergency management professional with more than 30 years of experience working alongside first responders. He also has five years of federal disaster recovery experience assisting individuals, families, businesses, and communities affected by disasters.

Michael founded LMD Disaster Survival Kits in 2007 to help people become better prepared for emergencies before they occur. He holds associate and bachelor’s degrees in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, as well as a Master of Security and Disaster Management with a concentration in Climate Security from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In his current professional role, Michael supports emergency management, workplace health, and safety initiatives for a behavioral healthcare organization with more than 500 employees.

Preparedness questions matter, reach out. LMD Disaster Survival Kits welcomes the opportunity to help individuals, families, workplaces, and communities strengthen their readiness, build confidence, and prepare for the unexpected.