Heed expert advice when it comes to disaster prepping

Photo courtesy of FEMA

Whether it’s Mother Nature’s wrath or a manmade catastrophe, disasters are always unscheduled, usually unexpected and, by definition, life threatening. The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example and highlights the reason you should heed expert advice when it comes to disaster prepping.

Mother Nature targets anyone she wants in a blink of an eye, and her ability to do so has been proudly on display this year. Hurricane season’s already warming up and tornadoes have claimed lives. Add terrorist plots, manmade catastrophes and opportunistic criminals who recognize when law enforcement coverage is thin, and it’s obvious relying on immediate help from authorities—even during the COVID-19 pandemic—can be a fatal error. FEMA admits on its Preparedness Myths Debunked web page, “It may also be several days before they can reach your area. As such, we must all embrace our personal responsibility to be prepared.”

Next Time Soon

Did you have the basics on hand before the COVID-19 pandemic struck? What happens if things escalate and the power goes out, cell phone coverage drops or water supply gets questionable?

Toilet paper is still scarce and there’s a meat shortage looming during this pandemic, so it’s too late to stock up right now. But this will not be the last “sporty” situation in 2020 and there are more coming.

Rather than pretending my dozen years of search & rescue experience makes me the ultimate authority—unlike some of the Internet’s armchair quarterbacks—the information provided in this blog comes from the folks who’ve responded to an understand urban emergencies. Their potentially lifesaving information is budget friendly, a refreshing reason to heed expert advice when it comes to disaster prepping.

I will, however, start with one free tip that I’ve seen come to the rescue of the dozens of outdoorsmen I’ve helped pluck off cliffs and return from the wilderness. No one disagrees on this point.

Power if the Mind

Your most powerful tool is a survival mindset and willingness to take responsibility in the situation. Bring that weapon to the “party” and the odds greatly increase you’ll not only survive but thrive in the chaos. It’s free, although likely tough to maintain right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Polish that attitude to a fine finish, just in case there’s accuracy in the prediction that mankind’s “Darkest Winter” is approaching.

Do not surrender. You can and will survive. Put your mind to it and do so long before the next crisis knocks on the door.

Comms

Readers with families face an added problem in a disaster. Depending on when fate strikes, a spouse could be miles away at work or children at school.

You may have made it home, but if you’re unable to ascertain whether your child is safe, there’s going to be a serious temptation to brave the danger to locate him—possibly getting hurt or killed. Cell phones are the modern answer, but tornados topple cell towers, the power goes out, batteries die and circuits get so overloaded that nearly all attempts to call won’t go through. That’s precisely what happened on 9/11 and part of the reason phone service largely went black right after the Boston Marathon Bombing.

FEMA’s Ready.gov website has some handy tips, including, “Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.” It doesn’t have as wide of a data footprint as phone calls, which also frees space for others nearby to get through to 911. As an added advantage, it will continue trying to punch that message through until it finally gives you an error message. It’s so effective that before Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York, officials issued a reminder to text during the storm. If that doesn’t work, try sending an e-mail from your phone.  

If possible, keep a cell phone charger in your vehicle, and carry a backup battery. Program a loved one’s number into the phone under the name ICE (In Case of Emergency), which lets first responders know that’s the person you prefer to have contacted. As for your landline, according to the Federal Communications System, “If you have traditional telephone service, it may work during electric power outages—but you may need to use a ‘corded’ phone.”

In addition, Ready.gov recommends you, “Identify a contact such as a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.”

Three Steps to Success

FEMA recommends a three-step program in your preparedness: Get informed, make a plan, and build a kit. Ready.gov provides free publications on its website, with some designed expressly for children.

Among the items it recommends you include in a basic kit are a battery-powered radio (avoid watching live videos as events unfold on your phone or you’re taking up emergency-call bandwidth), manual can opener, flashlights and three gallons of water per person. Of course non-perishable food items to last through the crisis are a critical ingredient.  

Fill up your vehicle’s gas tank long before a hurricane makes landfall and don’t forget about your pets. They need to eat and drink too, and all that begging just adds to the stress.

It’s not rocket science and the basics don’t require a huge investment. It does, however, mean you’ll maintain items like batteries in flashlights, check regularly and rotate food in the pantry while keeping some extra, just in case.

If you’re itching to finally get out of the house after shelter-in-place orders are listed, do so with caution. Criminals know there’s an overwhelming urge to escape the house—if only for a day trip. Law enforcement has some timely tips to avoid becoming a different kind of victim once COVID-19 eases.

The fine folks at FEMA didn’t foresee the need for masks and stockpiles of toilet paper. However, the wisdom they share is sound, free and for our safety, we should always heed expert advice when it comes to disaster prepping.

Here are more tips from NOAA and my review of a Midland radio to help you stay informed when the lights go out.