Being prepared is not a new concept, but some may not think it is important enough to focus on and work for. This is not true. The thought may be one of it will not happen here, or it will not happen to me, but it could, and if you are not prepared, the consequences could be devastating.
There are several reasons why preparing for a disaster is important, and a few will be discussed here with examples of current events.
Why Prepare
Disasters happen around the world all the time, and these disasters could be from Mother Nature herself, or man made through different actions. Knowing what to do in these many different situations will determine how well you and your family make it through the disaster.
One disaster that is current in the world today, and not nature made, is the economic turmoil occurring in Venezuela. The power is not reliable any longer with residence not knowing when the power will go out again, or if it will come back one when it does go out.
Drinking water and food can be difficult to find for some, and the ability to go to the local market no longer exist as shelves have been empty for a while now. The currency is now worthless with prices for even basic essentials astronomical.
Are there locals who are able to survive this economic disaster? If they were wise and prepared for disasters, then yes they are possibly sitting back and waiting out the disaster.
Now one might think that waiting on the government to assist with disaster relief will be enough, but who can you truly rely on when it comes to you and your family?
YOU and only you.
That Won’t Happen Here
You might think that a disaster such as the economic collapse just mentioned will not happen where you live, but look at the citizens in Britain that are concerned about Britain leaving the European Union. Brexit as it is being called is causing concern as citizens are afraid that if Britain leaves the Union without agreements in place, deliveries will stop.
The concern is if deliveries stop, necessities such as food and water will soon be difficult to find, or prices will increase where food and water becomes out of reach for most.
There are people preparing for Brexit by stocking up on food and water, and a quick Google search of Brexit preppers yielded many videos and articles from the last few months.
If Brexit does end where deliveries stop, the Brexit preppers will be able to sit back and wait while others try to find food for their family. Will the preppers be able to sustain forever? No, the idea is to be prepared to last until normalcy is restored.
That Won’t Happen to Me
I know you might think well that won’t happen to me, but it very easily could. There was a recent story here in the U.S. where a guy survived off of Taco Bell sauce packets for several days while stuck in his vehicle in the snow.
Guess he thought “that won’t happen to me”, or he would have been prepared for a stranded situation, or even just an instance where he was only stuck for a day with winter provisions in the vehicle.
I live in the south where winter weather can be unpredictable, and forecasters have a difficult time knowing what will actually happen with winter precipitation. Something as simple as a blanket, a few bottles of water, and some snacks that are kept in the vehicle during the winter months can make a difference if you ever get stranded during a winter storm, and the stress of what if I can’t make it home can be decreased.
Be Prepared
Preppers seem to have the stigmatism of being crazy, but are they? Preparing for a disaster is easy, and it does not have to be expensive if you keep it simple. What it can do is give you peace of mind if something does occur. The stress, anxiety and fear that naturally occur during a disaster can be lessened, and the reliance of others eliminated.
When a disaster does occur it will take time for resources to become available as it may be difficult to reach the disaster location. Having what you may need to wait for help can make a difference in easily surviving the disaster, or suffering unnecessary losses.
The simplest thing to do to prepare for any disaster is know what could happen and what you will need to survive when it does happen.
