Everyone can be prepared. There isn’t anywhere in the United States or the world that is not subject to a large-scale emergency or regional disaster. Knowing what is likely to happen in your are and planning for the worst case scenario will not only improve your survival rate but how long you have to endure.
Know the types and frequency of threats in your area. Make a plan for each but try to be as consistent as possible between plans. That means if you live where there is flooding and tornados, use the same rally point for both to keep things simple.
Pick two rally points. If one is compromised or cannot be reached, family will know to start looking for you at the second. Share this information with others outside of town.
Choose one person in another area to coordinate communication and execute the rescue plan if needed.
Think about evacuation. Nothing can do more to save your life than to evacuate quickly if you have advance notice. If you wait and leave the other 99% of the population, you may ride out a disaster from your car.
The Aftermath Data mobile app enables you to share your location with others on the map and report your status. There will be times when voice communication is jammed with traffic but data communication continues to work. Read posts from other users to get an idea of what may lay along your route and if your rally point is viable. Share the situation in your area even if everything is fine. This is still good information.
A day traveling Puerto Rico to interview disaster survivors of Hurricane Maria. The people of rural Puerto Rico are without power in many areas. The process of running power poles to remote areas is a time consuming and expensive one. Installation is the same as before so the situation could repeat itself next season.
Understanding basic disaster communication can relieve some of the stress and frustration. It also eliminates a false sense of hope so survivors can work with realistic tools available. Being prepared has a huge impact on life after a natural disaster is long gone.
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