If disaster strikes, how prepared are you?

Most of us spend our time thinking about school, work, family and everything else that makes up our lives. Thinking about disaster preparedness is probably the farthest from our minds. After all, what are the chances that we will actually need it? However, being prepared for a disaster can prevent many problems that arise whilst dealing with the disaster itself.

An article by Live Science poses the question, how prepared are you for a disaster? From floods, wildfires, storms and blackouts, you never know when or where you could be hit by a disaster, however, you can always prepare for it.

The biggest issue with preparing for a disaster is that it does not seem important unless you’re sitting right in the middle of one.

Being prepared by having bottled water, canned foods, flashlights, batteries and first aid kits at the ready can make all the difference during a disaster. Making a family emergency plan is also crucial to ensuring everyone knows how to react and what to do in the midst of one. It is also important to know potential threats in your environment and how to react to them. Although this may seem extreme, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Unfortunately, some families are not able to prepare for a disaster, whether it be lack of funds or resources.

This is why not only individuals, but the government, schools and local authorities must help and educate people on how to best handle and prepare for disaster situations.

So why do you think that people put off preparing for a disaster until the last minute? I personally think it is because we assume it will never happen to us, or because it will happen to someone else. Either way, there are so many things we can do to ensure our own safety and the safety of our loved ones, and if people choose not to it can have dire consequences.

We spend time preparing for tests at school and work, we practice presentations so we know exactly what to do once it’s time to give it, this is how we should treat emergency preparedness. We never know when an emergency will occur, but by having a plan, and practicing it, we will know exactly what to do. Although we cannot predict what form an emergency will take, we can predict that it will happen, and we have to be prepared. So, maybe take a few minutes this week to practice your emergency plan or to check your supplies.