What is a disaster?
The technical definition is: “any unplanned accident that affects your quality of life. Be it a prolonged power outage or flood, or worse, a disaster can strike at any time and anywhere.” In reality, though, it depends on your preparedness for real-life events that can turn traumatic in a matter of moments.
That’s why we’re outlining some basic steps to help you understand how you can both prepare for one and recover when it’s over. Keep reading to learn more.
What is a Disaster? Essential Steps to Reducing Hazards and Recovering
A disaster can be any of the following events :
- Terrorist attack
- Explosion
- Flood
- Fire
- Tornado
- Hurricane
- Earthquake
Here’s how to be prepared.
Create an Emergency Disaster Kit
Food and water are essential to have on hand in the event of a tragedy. Keep an ice chest on hand to fill with non-perishable foods and at least 2 gallons of water for every person in your family. Also, make sure your first-aid kit is stocked and ready to travel.
Create a Family Emergency Plan
Whether your family is together or separated in the event of an emergency, you should have a plan in place that directs all of you to one location, such as a specific spot in your town, so you can forge further plans to remain safe until the event passes.
Learn Evacuation Routes
Any type of disaster may require that you leave town in a hurry. Make sure you know the routes you will plan to take, especially if you and your family will travel separately. If you can, plan 2 or 3 different routes in case there’s traffic.
Take Pictures
One of the most important things to consider prior to any disaster is what your public insurance adjuster will need after the disaster. Take pictures of all of your belongings from clothes to electronics, kitchenware, and especially expensive items like jewelry. Keep them with your emergency kit so they don’t get lost in the ‘storm’.
Find Disaster Assistance Agencies
The Red Cross and Salvation Army are some of the most popular disaster assistance agencies that will likely have stations scattered throughout the region where the disaster strikes so you and your family can find a place to take shelter until you can return home.
Returning Home in the Aftermath
Hopefully, you have a home to return to. If you do, you must ensure that everything is safe before you can go back inside and begin cleanup activities.
Collect Evidence of Losses
The first thing to do when you return home is to take stock of your losses and take more pictures. Also, collect evidence of lost or damaged items so your insurance adjuster has something to work with.
Learn About Disaster
The answer to the question ‘what is a disaster’ can be very different for everyone involved in various situations. You can learn more about disaster recovery depending on the type of situation you’re facing in a time of need by visiting www.ready.gov.
The worst thing you can do is to not be prepared when disaster strikes. Think ahead and recovery will be much easier to deal with.
We hope you found this post helpful. Stop by when you have questions about how technology can help you in the darkest hours. We are constantly exploring the digital world.
