How to Keep Your Family Alive…

Do:
Be aware of probable hazards that can threaten your family (i.e. tropical storms in coastal areas, earthquakes in California, tornadoes in the mid-West, cold and blizzards in the North)

Plan ahead. Avoid the mobs of people trying to stock-up immediately before a storm. By nature, threats are unpredictable… the exact type, location, and timing of a hazard is likely to be an uncertainty.

DO have alternate light and heat sources in case of a temporary power outage.

DO have a reasonable amount of extra food (basic, non-perishable), water, and essential medications/prescriptions on-hand.

DO have a first-aid kit to address immediate injuries resulting from the impact of the hazard.

DO prepare a “go-bag” that has small amounts of the above items plus copies of important documents and an adequate amount of cash in case banks/ATMs are not accessible.

…consider keeping a second go-bag in the car and/or at work.

DO ensure that everyone in your household is familiar with a pre-designated meeting location in case family members get separated and are unable to communicate.

Don’t:
DO NOT be convinced that the Apocalypse will arrive tomorrow followed by a horde of flesh-eating zombies the day after.

DO NOT attempt to convince others that the Apocalypse will arrive tomorrow followed by a horde of flesh-eating zombies the day after.

DO NOT fill every last shelf and closet of household storage space with survival supplies.

DO NOT construct a bunker with a year’s plus supply of canned beans, water, and meals-ready-to-eat (MREs). This is especially ill-advised if you live in a flood zone or anywhere else you might have to evacuate.

DO NOT spend every last penny of your wages, life savings, or children’s college fund on your survival preparations.

DO NOT select your friends and social circles solely on the basis of who would be an asset (or a liability) to your survival plan.

DO NOT forgo vacations and leaving the house out of fear of being too far away from your bunker and survival supplies.

DO NOT consume every bit of precious family time gathering resources. (If you do, there is a good chance you will be surviving alone!)