Did you know that nationwide surveys indicate that about 40% of Americans have a documented disaster or emergency plan in place?  However, 9 out of 10 Americans say that although preparing for extreme weather is important, more than half do not have an actual disaster plan in place.  So, why aren’t more Americans preparing for disasters that happen every single day of the year?  Statistics again tell us the reasons why.  Some families know they should prepare, yet they choose not to spend their time preparing.  Some families do not know how to prepare or even how to get started with their preparation.  Lastly there are families that use the excuse ‘We do not have time (or money) to prepare for disasters.  Well let me tell you that even the simplest plan is better than no preparedness plan at all.

Here is our suggestion for the simplest preparedness plan.  We call it ‘Minimum Preparedness Level 1’.  This preparation plan only has three items:

1. Water – one gallon of water per family member per day.  Do not count on your tap water being available during a disaster.  Rather, store gallons of water or cases of bottled water bottles in a dry and darkened storage area of your home.  Rotate the unused water every 3-6 months to keep it fresh.
2. Non-perishable food – that’s food you do not have to cook or food that will not spoil because your oven or your refrigerator stopped working during a potential power outage.  We are talking protein bars, canned meats, nuts, and peanut butter.
3. A NOAA weather radio – a must have to know when the potential danger is approaching and when the danger has passed so you know it is safe to go outside your home.

The second level of preparedness is called the ‘Advanced Preparedness Level 2’.  This plan addresses necessary items of comfort.  We have three more comfort items you can add to your Level 1 preparedness items:

1. First aid kit – this is not one of those kits that has some bandages and a tube of ointment.  This should be a first aid kit containing items for wound care, pain relief, and personal hygiene.  A good first aid kit that you can purchase online can range anywhere from $50-300.
2. Extra batteries – we are not talking about having a couple C, D, AA, and AAA batteries.  We are talking about having a minimum of two dozen of each battery type in a plastic, waterproof container for those power outage disasters that last more than an hour or two.
3. Sleeping bags or extra blankets – for extra nighttime warmth. Every person in the household should have their own sleeping bag and/or an additional blanket or two.

The third and most robust preparedness level is one we call ‘The Two Plans Preparedness Level’.  This level is when a family has a robust shelter-in-place preparedness plan AND a tested evacuation plan in place.  This level does require more time, more planning, and more preparation to reach, yet it means a family is more prepared to withstand the 50 or more potential disasters that can impact a family.  These two robust plans contain additional items like personal hygiene items, survival gear items, personal medication/Rx items and much more. 

If you are responsible for your family’s safety and are concerned about being prepared, then we recommend you use the ladder approach.  The first step or rung on the ladder is to gather the three items listed in the Minimum Preparedness Level 1.  If you do not have the money or the time to add the next rung on the ladder (the Advanced Preparedness Level 2), wait a month or two and add those three items suggested for Level 2 preparedness.  Lastly, if you want to be included in that group of Americans (40%) that have already planned for the next disaster, then go ahead and add those additional items listed in Level 3 of preparedness (hygiene, survival gear, personal medication, etc.).

Our website (https://family-preparedness.com) has multiple resources to help you build a simple preparedness plan, an advanced preparedness plan and details on the two robust preparedness plans.  Check out our ‘How to Prepare’ webpage, take our 10-question preparedness quizzes or purchase one of our detailed tiny courses on preparing for disasters (only $27 per course).  Also check out the preparedness advice in our dozens of blog posts (located under the How to Prepare menu option).  As this post points out “Some preparedness, even a little bit of preparedness, is better than being unprepared and have no idea or resources to withstand that next pending disaster.