How to create a Disaster Survival Kit?

Jim Judge, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Board and director of emergency management for Volusia County in Florida, says the best time to prepare for an emergency is when it's farthest from us. Unfortunately, of course, most people put off preparing until the last minute or when it's too late.

That's why in this article, you will be able to read how to create a disaster survival kit or as it is fashionable to say in the 21st century Survival Kit. As they say, better a little today than nothing tomorrow. It is advisable to prepare today for potential disasters such as hurricane, earthquake, flood or fire.

Preparation is key to surviving a disaster.

Autumn Lotz, senior resilience specialist at SBP, a national nonprofit dedicated to "reducing the time between disasters and recovery," says (paraphrased) "Unless you've been recently affected by a natural disaster or other emergency, you won't feel the urgency of being prepared. Preparedness may be on your list of things you want to do, but you'd rather put it off for a while for more important things."

Anyone who is a member of Lotz's organization has seen the effects of natural disasters and would advise that disasters come out of the blue and putting off preparing for them is not a good idea. Preparation should not be for a specific disaster, but comprehensive.

The need for a survival kit would be extremely great in the event of a disaster similar to the one in Turkey and Syria, for which we campaigned. The people in need are in dire need of many things - food, water, provisions, tents, blankets, raincoats, medicines, etc.

What to include in your disaster survival kit?

"If you prepare for any type of disaster, you'll be ready for anything!" say Red Cross volunteers.

The American Red Cross website has great tutorials that contain detailed information on how to prepare for any type of disaster. The organization has a number of apps that can be downloaded to your phone in advance.

In the event of a natural disaster, have these handy.

• • Water: store 5 litres of water. It will last you 2-3 days.
  • Food: stock up on canned and fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • First aid: have a kit tailored to your health needs
  • Batteries and lanterns: it is imperative that batteries are NOT kept in the lantern because they run out even though you are not using it
  • Cash: in an emergency, cash can save your life. Save a sum of money and divide it into several envelopes.
  • Fuel: always keep your vehicle filled to the top because fuel is the most expensive commodity during a disaster. Fuel runs out the fastest of anything.
  • Garage doors: for people who live in houses, it is important to know that garage doors are the most vulnerable and weak part of the home, so buy solid garage doors because they will protect you in a hurricane or tornado.

If you've decided to secure yourself right now but can't get the full list of items right away, be sure to start with a flashlight and batteries and start putting away a little cash to be prepared. It's also a good idea to buy a suitcase (maybe second hand) that stays packed with clothes so you can react immediately in an emergency.

Volunteers who participate in firefighting say "Look at wildfires. People are dying in their beds as the fires move extremely fast. Always be ready to leave your home at a moment's notice. Sometimes you may only have 30 seconds."

Come up with a personal emergency plan.

Lotz says, "It's important to have a personal emergency plan for your household - how you will get in contact with each other and what you will do to stay safe in an emergency. This includes what supplies you should keep in your disaster survival kit (Survival Kit), what is the safest place in your home if you need to take shelter, and how and where you will evacuate if necessary."

Also include your important documents as part of your emergency preparedness checklist.

And whether you keep documents in the cloud (cloud space) or on another portable drive, it's very important to remember to take the documents you need in their original form and that are vital to you.

"Protecting your important documents is another key step to take. If you ever need to apply for disaster relief or file an insurance claim, having access to your important documents makes that much easier," says Lotz.

She also suggests physically protecting your home and considering doing so with three key groups:

• • Regular inspections and maintenance: these help keep your home in working order and fix problems while they're still small and inexpensive to repair.
  • Securing your home before severe weather hits: if a storm is on the horizon and you know from the news that it's coming, take steps to minimize potential damage to your home and property. For example, such as putting up blinds, bringing outdoor items inside, clearing out the ground floor if flooding is expected, etc.
  • Home improvements: if you are building a new house or renovating an old house, you may want to consider using higher quality materials and building technologies that will make your home more resilient to natural disasters.

What to do after the disaster has passed?

Preparation, such as creating a disaster survival kit (Survival Kit), can make all the difference in how you and your family will handle a disaster situation. But even the most prepared people often have to recover after the disaster has passed.

Even with the best insurance, families often have additional expenses after the disaster passes. Crowdfunding is the easiest way to bridge these financial gaps and shortfalls when time is of the essence. You will find that your friends are willing to help if disaster strikes, and you can also contact me (link to contact me) and I would try absolutely free of charge to help you with whatever I can.

In conclusion - always be prepared!

Unlike countries like Australia, America, China, in Bulgaria the scale of disasters is considerably smaller but the damage they cause is just as severe and unpleasant. The personal tragedy and problems that come into the lives of the victims are severe and terrible.