With September being National Disaster Preparedness Month and seeing the aftermath of hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, we are reminded of how suddenly our lives can change.  I wouldn’t necessarily call myself paranoid, but I am known to be a little on the over-interested side when it comes to being prepared. 

When we think about natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, or mudslides, we have to wonder how prepared we are. How ready is our community to face a disaster? And what about all our pets?  Here are some items to consider when it comes to being prepared, and what you can do to ready yourself, the pets, and your community.

Have a Disaster Plan

Every individual or family needs to have a plan in place in the event of a natural disaster, extended power outage, or another type of event. Think about the conveniences we have in our everyday lives and how that can change during an emergency.  

Advanced planning will ensure that when a disaster strikes, you will have that much more of a chance of making it out OK.  For more tips on disaster planning with pets, check out my blog post on “Natural Disaster Preparedness Month: Are You Prepared?”

Have A Good First Aid Kit

Every family should have a well-stocked first-aid kit, not only for themselves but also for the pets. Pack the first aid kit with items such as bandaging supplies, items for wound care, burn care, gloves, muzzles for each one of your pets, and much more. Even if your pets have the sweetest temperament in the world, when an emergency strikes or when they are in pain, they are going to be afraid and unpredictable.  For more ideas on your first aid kits, check out my blog post on “Pet First Aid Kits: What Goes in Them?” for tips on assembling a first aid kit for your pets.

Have a “Bug Out” Bag Ready for the Family

Every family should have a bag packed and ready in case they need to evacuate the area quickly. If you need to leave and only have minutes to spare, this bag is what you will grab.

Being financially prepared

We are always advised to be economically ready for situations. If a natural disaster were to happen, how would you have access to money, if needed? Likely the bank ATM’s will not be able to keep up with the demand of folks needing to access their money, or they may not have power.

Have All the Bases Covered

By having a disaster plan in place along with proper supplies ready to go, you and your pets will be in a much better situation if something happens. You will be able to shelter in place safely, or if evacuation is needed, you will have your supplies and pets packed and ready to go. When evacuations are ordered, many people are reluctant to leave because they don’t want to leave their pets behind, don’t know where to go, or don’t feel they have the proper items they need to take with them. Unfortunately, not evacuating when instructed to do so puts yourself, your family, and others in danger who then have to rescue you in rough conditions. Being prepared for “most likely” types of disasters for your area will help tremendously!  Just remember to review your disaster plan regularly and check the items you have assembled, in case they need to be updated or changed out!

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