Emergency Preparedness Weekly Journey Introduction

TL:DR: Join the weekly journey where we offer small steps to improve your emergency preparedness plans and stores. We usually offer 6-8 steps. Try and do one a week.  Start where you are and do only can, and only things that apply to your household. 

It seems that recently, there has been a renewed effort to raise awareness of the need for emergency preparedness. Numerous agencies and organizations have offered lists of items and steps you can take that would improve your safety  during an emergency. 

Emergencies come in many forms and sizes.  We are including personal emergencies such as loss of livelihood, house fires, environmental emergencies such as floods, tornadoes and earthquakes, and larger scale infrastructure failures (like the widespread electricity outages we've seen in recent years). But this is not meant to be scary.  You should assess the emergencies most likely for your situation.  Perhaps earthquakes never occur in your area but there is potential for an eruption or hurricane. 

As we begin this challenge, or as I prefer to look at it, a journey, we will gradually enhance our preparedness plan and stores.  Regardless of where you are starting, I suspect something on this list will apply.  After all, preparedness is an ongoing project.  Even if you have everything ever recommended and every skill mastered, food rotation, and kit maintenance will probably still be needed.  Each week there will be a number of suggested actions. Most weeks there will be suggestions for each of the following realms of readiness. Food, household, 72 hour kit, financial, family prep and water.  Some suggestions will overlap multiple categories.  Some weeks particular categories will not be addressed.  

No one should expect to check off each category's suggestions every week. If you are just starting out, this would be both cost prohibitive and a time sink. I ask that you meditate on which recommendations you tackle first. If you are further along in your readiness journey some of these items will not apply to you.  Preparedness is personal. Each individual and family have their own set of needs.  Some things may not apply to you at all. Nor is this a comprehensive list. We may not address all the considerations your household  needs. The elderly, disabled, neurodivergent, and young children may have additional needs and preparations you will need to account for.  You know your household better than anyone else. 

Likewise, you understand your space limits, financial limits, and time limits.  Maybe you need to skip a week.  Maybe you feel able to check off more than one from the list occasionally.  Remember, even one small action will leave you better off than before.  So start where you are.  

For the most part this list was compiled by Melanie Robbins who began this challenge Jan 1st.  I share this amazing challenge with you all with her permission. Even though the new year is traditionally a time for resolutions, I find January to be a hard month to start things and remain consistent. I am usually in the thick of vacations and irregular schedules. So I begin this in mid February once daily life has become more routine and my family's onslaught of January birthdays have come to an end. This way I can commit to updating the challenges, and the blog entries that go with them, on a fairly consistent basis.

That Being said, I will post weeks 1 - 8 all at once for those who want to catch up. But I suggest you start with week 1 and work on them one week at a time as originally intended.

One final thought.  When planning for emergencies, it is easy to become overwhelmed, stressed and even fearful.  Readiness is designed to help in times of emergency.  Hopefully having a plan and the supplies for that plan will help you to feel more prepared and alleviate some of that fear.  I realize that the subject matter can be a bit uncomfortable.  So I ask that you check in with yourself during this journey.  If you are clenching your jaw, with your shoulders up near your ears, it may be time to practice relaxation techniques that work for you. Self-care and emotional readiness are just as important as a first aid kit for physical ailments. So make note of the things that help you calm down, those will be helpful for your emergency plans as well.  Try and involve your whole family when appropriate.  Having them understand your plan will help them be better prepared as too.

Happy prepping.