Unless you are a seasoned doomsday prepper, the current pandemic affecting our society may have caught you be surprise. Although this COVID-19 crisis is certainly a tragedy and should be treated as such, this situation can serve as a wake up call that you need to plan for similar incidents in the future.
Unfortunately, we have seen a large number of the population react to this situation in a way that is excessive and even harmful to other individuals. Purchasing certain items in excess and flooding the supermarkets has become normality as of late.
Because of this trend, many individuals who may need these resources far more than most or who have trouble accessing the places to acquire these things are suffering the consequences.
In this article, we are going to discuss some sensible strategies that are extremely beneficial regarding the current situation as well as ensuring a future crisis doesn’t leave you in the dark (no pun intended).
Quality Over Quantity When Shopping
While there are some items that are essential to buy in bulk, such as toilet paper and basic medication, others can be purchased in moderation and still leave you prepared.
When stocking up on food items for an emergency, focus on buying items that have a long shelf life and provide a large number of calories. In regard to water, it is certainly wise to have a stockpile of bottled water or gallon containers.
However, you may want to look into some form of water filtration system. These devices are readily available and essentially provide an endless supply of drinkable water should your stash run low.
Maintaining An Emergency Fund
This tip applies to everyday life; you should always have some sort of nest egg available for unplanned expenses, such as a medical emergency or vehicle trouble. In this case of a pandemic, having an emergency fund becomes even more crucial.
Consider the millions of individuals currently out of work and not receiving a steady flow of income. Having currency allocated to a situation such as the current crisis is absolutely essential.
Establishing A Plan
Establishing a well-organized plan for you and your family is not something that should be done in the middle of an emergency. Although it can seem quite excessive in the flow of everyday normal life, it is important that you plan and discuss with your family exactly how you will act should this type of situation occur. Be sure to cover the basics such as where you will go, what resources you have available to use and what each person’s role will be.
Maintaining Communication
Most of us take for granted the ability to maintain communication with our friends and family. We just assume that our smart phones, computers and televisions will always be there when we need them. However, these things can quickly become unavailable during emergency situations where electricity and wireless connectivity are eliminated.
It is important to have plan for maintaining the use of these devices in a crisis situations. Consider investing in things like solar-powered chargers, a generator and rechargeable batteries to ensure you are able to communicate.
Basic Emergency Skills
An important thing to consider when preparing for a crisis is how to minimize the damage. A gas leak or electrical issue in your household can quickly become life threatening during a natural disaster.
Make sure you are aware of how to shut off certain appliances and valves around the house. Furthermore, having the ability to help someone in danger using basic CPR skills can be invaluable in an emergency situation. Once again, these things are easy to disregard in everyday life, but can become critically important very quickly.
Avoiding Panic
It is a known fact that human beings do not think clearly or react appropriately in a panicked state. We see examples of this behavior in every crisis situation.
When disaster strikes, being prepared is the best way to avoid panic. If you and your family have already discussed a well-established plan to deal with the situation, you can eliminate rash decisions that can very likely cause further harm.
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash