Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

I write our kids, now all adults, a family letter every few weeks.  I started the practice about 20 years ago. It can be on any topic, often some life lesson I’ve learned or maybe a current event. 

A recent letter began, “I promise I’m not not a prepper but….” For me it was a serious sign-of-the-times Dad letter. So, with this being National Preparedness Month, I wanted to share some of this with you.

I have always advised preparation. A lot of that comes from my years as a police officer and from my time in the Texas State Guard where I encountered some dire situations. Add to that what we all witnessed during winter storm Uri when in just four days of no power over 200 Texans died!

Deployed around the state during Hurricane Harvey and other destructive storms, I have seen first-hand the impact. With little or no warning there’s no food on the grocery store shelves, no electricity or water, wastewater/septic systems are rendered inoperable, even basic medical care is hard to find.  

Today, with our open border we’ve never been at a higher risk of terrorist attack and also the threat of violent criminal gangs. Earlier this year, the FBI Director stated, “I’ve never seen a time where all the threats or so many of the threats are all elevated, all at exactly the same time.”

Again, I’m not apocalyptic but existential threats—any one of which could turn our lives upside down—are as plain as day! Think what it would be like if just your electric power and water stayed down for even a few weeks?

In the letter to my family I outlined some common sense steps they should consider to be ready for a wide range of situations. Your first responsibility, of course, is to protect your family. This involves not only storing up necessities but some teaching and training, too. You’ll want to tailor everything to fit your household but here are a few critical suggestions:

• First, turn on the location app on each mobile phone. Be able to find each other if someone is missing. 
• Have a backup location to meet in case of a disaster, be it terrorism, a tornado, or whatever.  
• Keep a few months of food on hand. Terry buys prepackaged survival food supplies on-line, and these are long lasting. You don’t have to eat well, you just need sustenance. Remember Joesph’s sage counsel to Pharoah? It’s still sound today. “Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming.…”  “Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.” Genesis 41:35-36
• Think about the medicines you may need. Many are made in China, India, and other foreign nations and that supply could go away quickly. Store up not only prescriptions but over the counter medications. Be prepared for colds, flus, fevers, cuts and other minor ailments. Fever reducer alone can save a small child’s life.
• Learn some basic first aid, especially how to use a tourniquet to stop bleeding. Buy some tourniquets. Carry one in your purse, briefcase, backpack and car. You can learn how to use a tourniquet and other first aid techniques easily on-line.
• Learn and then train your family how to use firearms for self defense. Not just how to fire the gun. Just a few Saturdays of training with a good instructor goes a long way. Terry and I have taken courses together and it was great husband/wife time. 
• Have your kids take some basic self-defense training. 
• Teach your family to always be aware of their surroundings, especially if traveling or shopping at night. Look around before exiting the car or walking away from store exits. 
• Put a loud whistle on your key chain. Terry, until recently, still had my police whistle I gave her when we were dating. She lost it just a few months ago and when she replaced it she bought one for all the girls. Whistles are great for calling for help and can scare off stalkers. 
• Hand tasers are inexpensive and a great accessory. Just make sure you keep it in its case.  You don’t want a surprise when rummaging in your handbag or backpack. (I’m not a fan of pepper spray.)
• Try to keep your cars fueled and some extra gasoline at your home. (Don’t store it in the garage because of fire risk. Fumes alone start fires). It’s inexpensive to have a couple extra propane tanks on hand for grill cooking in case the power goes out. Some firewood and a dozen cases of bottled water can go a long way.

• Think about a small portable generator. You can find some good deals on-line, and these generators can power your fridge, charge your phones and recharge your flashlights. But remember that fuel is the key so no fuel, no generation. We have a home generator with backup propane.

• Keep some emergency cash on hand. The more the better, but at least $500.00 in small bills. Remember how COVID and Uri closed banks and shut down ATM’s. In a real collapse gold and silver coins may be more marketable than cash, plus these metals can be a good investment regardless.

The key here is plain common sense. You can’t plan for (or pay for) every contingency so stick to the basics. 

Finally, for those of us who follow Christ, we’re not to live in fear as others may do.  Nonetheless, it’s dangerous and irresponsible to be complacent. God gives us wisdom and He expects us to act with prudence.