Mother Nature offers endless beauty throughout the world. From majestic mountainsides to grass-filled prairies to brilliant rainbows and cascading waterfalls, the outdoors can truly inspire awe in everyone.  However, she has a dark side, too. Nature can throw life-changing disasters upon regions without any real warning. But all doesn’t have to be doom and gloom if you learn how to prepare for a natural disaster before it happens

With some basic knowledge, some detailed prep for specific dangers, and following common sense principles, you and your family can survive and get back on your feet quickly. Here’s how to tackle some of nature’s most brutal beasts…

Survive an Earthquake

An earthquake can come in an instant, and preparing for a natural disaster is an absolute must if you’re to both survive the initial quake and then the unpredictable aftermath:

Examine your home for potential falling hazards, such as bookcases, shelving, tall dressers, etc., and secure them firmly with extra-strong screws or brackets.

Gather emergency supplies such as a radio with a weather band (using batteries, not relying upon electrical power), non-perishable foods, plenty of bottled water, a first-aid kit, and a flashlight to start.

Determine the best location inside your home to hunker down if an earthquake comes when you’re home.

Start with a Plan

You and your family should use a desk or solid table for cover, or if none are available options at the time, stay in a hallway or pressed against an interior wall. Follow the “Drop, Cover, and Hold on!” instructions. Naturally, the best place to be is outside in an area cleared of tall trees or other obstacles. If you have one such place on your property, it’s best to perform trial earthquake drills with the family so all will know the plan if an earthquake occurs. 

Use this outside location only if it’s quickly accessible from the home. If you’re already outside, then definitely proceed to the predetermined “safe” location. Since the majority of injuries occur from falling debris, it’s best to drop and cover yourself and hold onto something secure immediately. You are less likely to be injured if you stay where you are, but if your surroundings offer too many dangers,  rapidly seek safety elsewhere. 

Since earthquakes can occur spontaneously, you could be in your vehicle when one occurs. If this happens, immediately move your car away from power lines, large trees, or highway overpasses and find an open area as quickly as possible. Activate your vehicle’s emergency brake and hold on until the shaking stops. After the earthquake, be very cautious when driving, as road hazards such as breaks in the pavement, downed power lines, or collapsed bridges may have occurred. 

Prepare for a Hurricane

Hurricanes are essentially rain and wind storms on steroids. This circular weather condition can be hundreds of miles in diameter, dump loads of rain, deliver house-shattering winds, and bring a storm surge to the coast that decimates anything nearby. However, there is a silver lining to this destruction, and that is a long planning window. Hurricanes, tropical storms, or disturbances in the tropics can be detected when they are far (as in thousands of miles), allowing a relatively long time for planning for the upcoming storm. 

Naturally, preplanning should have been done at the start of the season if you are in a hurricane-prone location, but if not, don’t worry. At the first newscast of a possible hurricane strike, it’s time to hit the grocery and home improvement stores. Bottled water (at least one gallon per person per day) is an absolute must, along with canned goods, jerky, snacks, trail mixes, or anything that can be eaten without refrigeration or cooking. Prescriptions should be refilled if possible, and any over-the-counter medicines or first aid products should be purchased at this time.

Buying Supplies for a Natural Disaster

 Preparing for a natural disaster starts with a trip to the home improvement store. You will need flashlights with plenty of batteries, tarps, a generator, window-boarding materials, and gasoline jugs, which are an absolute must-buy. This is also the time to hit the gas station and fill up all vehicles in your household, along with multiple five-gallon jugs. The more, the better, since you never know how long your power may be out.

As soon as you are stocked at home, keep a close eye on the news. If the storm doesn’t change course, don’t wait to board up your home. If the forecast is for a catastrophic category three, four, or five storm (the most destructive of all), then you may need to evacuate the area. Your life and your family’s life always come before protecting your possessions. 

Stay Safe in A Blizzard

Preparing for a blizzard (essentially a mega snowstorm) is very similar to that of a hurricane, but with a few important differences that must be heeded. First, stocking up on food, water, and emergency essentials should occur far before a blizzard could come to fruition, that is, in the fall or early in the winter season. You should assume that you’ll be “trapped” in your home for days or even weeks, so prepare accordingly with enough canned or other shelf-stable foods, snacks, and beverages. 

You can also assume that your power will go out (most likely due to heavy snow and ice weighing down or snapping power lines.) With no power, you’ll need plenty of batteries for flashlights, stacks of warm blankets to keep warm, and a charged cellphone or, even better, a satellite phone for making emergency calls, if needed. Having time-passers, such as board games, decks of cards, and books, will also help keep boredom minimal and make your family’s time locked inside during a blizzard a bit more tolerable. 

Staying Warm

Unlike hurricane preparation, where you usually have enough time to “hunker down” in your home, a blizzard can come fast and hard when you’re on the road and may prevent you from making it home. 

Here is where you need a solid vehicle safety plan. Your mobile emergency kit should include items that help you and your vehicle.

 First, you should stock jumper cables, a snow shovel, flashlight, flares, kitty litter or sand, and a sturdy tow rope or chain in your truck. These items can help get your vehicle out of a ditch or deep snow mound and get you back on the road so you can make it home. If luck isn’t on your side and you’re stuck inside your vehicle, then blankets, mittens, gloves, and a stockpile of non-perishable foods are needed. Remember, it could be days until you’re found, so err on the side of caution and overstock. 

Seek Shelter From A Tornado

Tornados are probably the most destructive force of nature that can occur within the smallest footprint. In fact, homes on one side of a neighborhood street may be untouched, while their across-the-street neighbor’s homes may be reduced to splintered woods and concrete foundations. 

Since tornados come and go in a relatively short period of time and offer a very short warning time, preparing for a tornado is based mainly on where and how you will shelter yourself. The key is to get as low as possible, meaning head for a basement, tunnel, underground parking lot, or subway. 

Avoid sporting arenas, tall buildings, mobile homes, and even your own vehicle. A car will be lifted into the sky with no effort from even the weakest of tornados. Don’t be under a false sense of security that tornados only occur in mid-western states with dry conditions and flat topography. The truth is that every state within the continental United States has had tornados at some point, so just about everyone needs to know how to be prepared. If you’re home, then head to your basement. 

If you lack a basement, then a windowless interior room is your next best chance of staying safe. Cover yourself with a mattress or thick rug, avoid windows at all costs, as they can be shattered, and shower yourself with glass or other debris from outside your house. Finally, a battery-operated weather radio is an absolute must if you live in an area prone to regular tornado activity. 

You can’t Over Prepare for a Natural Disaster

No emergency plan is foolproof. You could do everything correctly yet still feel the full impact and aftermath of a natural disaster. However, the more prepared you are, the better you will fare. No matter the situation, having bugout bags for all family members is essential if you have no home to return to or are transported elsewhere to escape the incoming disaster.

Having copies and digital records of your important documents is also intelligent when the aftermath comes and it’s time to rebuild your home and your life. Never think you’re over-preparing or over-prepping for one of Mother Nature’s monsters. If or when one comes knocking at your front door, you’ll have greater peace of mind that you’re ready to face it head-on and survive!

The Aftermath

ENSURE THE EVENT IS OVER – No matter the natural disaster, never leave a place of safety until you are sure the danger has passed. A hurricane, for example, may appear to be gone, but in reality, the calmness was only the eye of the storm, and the back half (the more powerful half) was yet to come.

TUNE INTO THE NEWS – The best way to get a handle on the extent of damage throughout your city or county is to listen to local news broadcasts on your battery-powered radio (because odds are your power will be out.) They will also relay important information concerning clean-up and supply centers that may open up during the aftermath. 

ASSESS YOUR LOCAL DAMAGE—Local means your own home. Do not venture into the neighborhood or try to travel far. Walk your property carefully (there could be downed power lines or other dangers) and make notes of both major and minor damage. 

USE BOTTLED WATER – Many may have overlooked this, but your local water supply may have been contaminated during the disaster. Until you’re given the “all clear” by authorities, use bottled water for all your water needs. 

PREPARE FOR OUTAGES—If you prepared for a natural disaster properly, you should have no trouble surviving until power is restored. Conserve your food and water, maintain food safety conditions, and immediately report any downed power lines. Never try to fix, move, or handle live power lines; avoid them altogether. 

CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANIES—When things are getting back to normal, contact all relevant insurance companies and report your losses. Documentation in the form of photos and descriptions of your personal belongings will make the process much smoother for everyone.