The weather man says we have a pretty good chance of a substantial storm moving in this evening and through tomorrow. In yesterday’s post I mentioned we had had a small earthquake here in
It’s not a good idea to base our lives off of the "what-ifs," but when the threat of the "what-ifs" become a reality, you should never be caught off guard, and that is especially true if you live on a homestead/farm with animals that depend on you for their care. One should always be ready for the unexpected.
I come from a much different background than most folks these days. Being raised on a farm way, way back then, farm folks for the most part lived a life of self sufficiency and preparedness. Being prepared and being pretty much self suffiecent was more of a way of life and not something laid out as a plan so to speak. Our great grand parents, grand parents and parents had lived this way and it was just the way life worked. You did what you needed to do to survive.
Even during the Great Depression years of the late 1920’s and 1930’s when there wasn’t much cash to be had they didn’t go hungry. I remember as a young boy that I was around 8 years old before I even knew there was such a thing as canned dog food. We only went into town for the basic staples, sugar, coffee, tea, spices, flour & corn meal occasionally, hardware and other farm items and a few other items. We basically raised raised or grew most of what we needed to survive. Today, things are so much different.
As I thought about these things I thought it might be beneficial to our readers to have a little reminder that the “What-ifs” of life are going to happen and it’s best to be prepared for them. Below are some things you might want to give some thought about before that “What-if” happens. My focus here is towards those living in more rural communities but most of what is below is also applicable to those living in urban settings.
Get Your Household Prepared Now
Before all other things, you need to make sure that your family and household are in order. Animals and barns are replaceable, the people you love are not. Your family should have a routine. Who does what when threats of storms and natural disasters loom? Each person should have a job that they know how to do and do it well. Yes, this might mean you have to practice, but it's well worth it.
If you have small children, this might be even more of a job for you. You are solely responsible for the safety and well being of those little ones.
It's also a good idea to make sure you have the following things on hand at all times in case a disaster takes you off guard:
Have canned and non-perishable food items. Those Summer veggies come in handy in the Winter time if you lose power during a snow storm. Otherwise, stock up on organic items, such as veggies and broth if possible. No need to go all "end of the world", but it's good to be prepared. How much you stock up on will be determined by your family’s needs and like. A word of wisdom here. Don’t stock up on foods you don’t like and won’t eat.
A wood stove and some form of alternate air conditioning. This isn't possible for everyone, but if it is, I highly suggest investing in heating with wood. This comes in extra handy during the winter months if you lose power or have a large snow storm come through. We heat almost exclusively with wood ourselves. It's even great during those fall hurricane days. Wood stoves can heat your home as little or as much as you'd like, but it's also a necessary heat element for cooking. Up where we are, we don’t get as hot as down in the valley but we always say that we would rather lose power in the cold months rather than the hot months. It's extremely easy to cook on a wood stove. As far as an air-conditioning unit, it's not necessary, but if you have a generator, you'll thank yourself!
A generator. If its at all possible, it's well worth the investment. You can even find them inexpensively on social media yard sale sites, farm barter sites, and craigslist. If you have freezers full of meat, this is especially necessary.
Prepare for flooding. Where our particular place is, we
don’t really have to worry much about this but here are some things to keep in
mind. If you have a basement or area of your property that is prone to
flooding, get this under control before the rain comes. If you do not prepare,
you will regret it. Create ditches around your home to direct water away from
it. Put in french drains if necessary (before the threats come). Whatever you
do, make sure your house doesn't flood in the middle of a disaster. Sandbags
might be necessary if you live in a low country area. And ultimately, you just
might have to make the decision to leave your home after everything is battened
down. Your life is worth far more.
Cell phones charged and good service. Your home phone is bound to go, in fact, many folks today only have cell phones so make sure you have your cell phones charged and ready. If you don't have good service, invest in a cell phone booster or know a good spot where you can get service.
Have plenty of flash lights, candles, batteries, and oil lamps. These are things you can prepare for well in advance. Make sure you have a good source of light, and more than one. Also, blankets, hats, coats, extra clothes. Enough said.
Medicine & first aid kit. If you use herbal remedies make sure you have a good supply. Make sure medicines, and first aid items are easily at hand. Make sure you are never on the verge of needing a refill -- always have it on hand.
Games and entertainment. Especially if you have children. Have a "game crate" around so it's easy to find.
Weapons and ammo. This is a matter of your own personal thoughts and beliefs. You might have to protect yourself, but chances are, you'll need it more for hunting your own food should you run out or need it in a pinch.
An escape route. Sometimes, you can do everything possible and it's still not enough. Make sure you have a plan of escape. We have a really big wash that crosses one our main route out of here and it always is flooded when we get heavy rains. We have to go another route which we have even seen impassable because of heavy rains. Make sure you have a plan in place, not only for your family together, but for your family apart. Sometimes a disaster may hit when someone isn't home. How will you get to them? Where is your meeting point?
These are things each of you should know ahead of time. Prepare Your
In tomorrows post I’ll post Part 2 of how and what to do
when the “What-ifs” happen.
