How To Survive a Natural Disaster (The Survival Kit Guide)

Natural disasters are more common than you might think. Every year, there are around 6,800 globally. In 2020, there were 22 natural disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage each.

Statistics like these indicate why it’s essential to think about your plan for surviving a natural disaster. With a good plan, you can reduce your risk in severe weather and climate events.

If you don’t have a plan for surviving natural disasters yet, don’t worry. We’ve put together this guide to help you create one. Keep reading to learn more.

Disaster survival overview

Natural disasters are extreme weather and climate events that have the potential to cause fatalities, significant property damage, and social environmental disruption.

This is a list of events that include things like:

• Hurricanes and tornadoes
• Winter storms and blizzards
• Extreme cold and extreme heat
• Earthquakes
• Wildfires and landslides
• Floods and droughts

When one of these events occurs, it’s important to have already a clear understanding of how to survive a natural disaster. If you aren’t prepared, you risk making hasty decisions that could put your life and property at an increased risk.

Natural disaster preparedness is about being ready for whatever nature might throw at you. That way, you can act in the best way possible for yourself and your family when the need arises.

Surviving a natural disaster: 5 Steps to ensure you are prepared

Step 1: Understand your risks

The first step in a disaster survival plan is to understand the specific risks you face. Yours will vary based on where you live. It’s important to know which natural disasters you’re at risk of experiencing so that you prepare for them correctly.

For example, someone in California should know what to do during a natural disaster like an earthquake or a drought. But they don’t really need to spend time worrying about hurricanes and tornadoes.

Conversely, someone in Florida would want to spend a lot of time thinking about what to do in a natural disaster like a hurricane. But wouldn’t necessarily need to worry all that much about earthquakes.

Once you understand what you’re at risk of experiencing, it becomes much easier to know the actions that you need to take for surviving a natural disaster.

Step 2: Create an emergency plan

Your next step is creating an emergency plan so that you know what to do during natural disasters. This is the sequence of events that you’ll follow in the event of a natural disaster that requires you to evacuate your home.

You want to have a complete plan ready before a natural disaster strikes to avoid getting caught unprepared in an emergency.

Here are some tips for putting yours together:

Know where you’ll go

In the event of a natural disaster, it’s vital to have a clear sense of where you’ll evacuate to. You may not be able to access information from TV or the internet during a natural disaster. So make sure that you have this information written down somewhere safe.

For example, you should make sure that you know where the nearest evacuation center is to you and know your route for getting there. That way, you won’t have to worry about planning a route or having to look up your destination when disaster strikes.

Know how you’ll receive information

You also want to make sure that you have a surefire way to receive important updates in the event of a natural disaster. This might include purchasing a weather radio so that you can hear news about the disaster, even if TV stations and the internet in your area go out.

Likewise, make sure you have a good way to stay in touch with family members. That could mean creating contact cards so that you don’t have to remember everyone’s number.

It could also be a good idea to come up with a meeting place for your family. That way, if anyone gets separated during the weather event and can’t contact you, you’ll all know where you’re supposed to meet.

Know how you’ll evacuate pets

If you have pets, you should also develop a plan for getting them to a safe location in the event of a natural disaster. Be sure to have a carrier for them and enough of their medication to last for at least a week.

Practice makes perfect

Finally, it’s a good idea to practice the natural disaster plan you create. Take a few drives to your local evacuation center so that you know the route well. And ask the children in your family to practice putting together their bags quickly.

If you’ve already done these things before a natural disaster strikes, then you’re much likelier to follow the plan correctly when the real thing occurs.

Step 3: Prepare your home and vehicle for disaster

The next step in your natural disaster preparedness plan is getting your home and vehicle ready for whatever weather or climate event could occur in your area.

Here’s a look at how to do that:

Home natural disaster preparation

One of the most critical parts of getting your home ready for a natural disaster is making sure that you have a reliable backup power source. That way, if the power goes out, you can still charge your electronics, use lights and some of your appliances.

Jackery’s portable power stations are perfect for this. You can charge them up with a standard wall outlet, portable solar panels, or even your car’s cigarette lighter. And once you do, you’ll have enough power to use things like electric stoves, coffee makers, and even televisions.

When getting your home ready for a natural disaster, it’s also important to seal your doors and windows with weatherproofing material. Doing this could be the difference between keeping your home warm enough to remain in throughout a natural disaster or having to evacuate.

Other ideas for preparing your home for a natural disaster include:

• Securing your outdoor furniture
• Placing sandbags where water might leak in
• Finding your utility lines
• Leaving your water faucets open slightly to protect pipes from freezing

Vehicle natural disaster preparation

You also want to ensure that your vehicle is prepared to take you where you need to go if a natural disaster strikes. That’s why it’s a good idea to take your car to the shop at the beginning of natural disaster season.

A mechanic can top up your fluids, take a look at your engine, and offer suggestions for repairs and maintenance to ensure that your car is ready to transport you in harsh weather conditions.

If you live in areas with severe winter storms, it can also be a smart move to put things like blankets, road flares, and sleeping bags in your car. That way, your health isn’t at risk if your car breaks down in the snow.