Ready?

This site is interesting... It seems they felt the government website was confusing and didn't really help citizens prepare themselves, so they created their own, streamlined version:
http://www.fas.org/reallyready/

us? not at all! where we are there are no hurricanes or earthquakes or anything like that ....was a tornado this summer near by though hmmmmmmm, I guess we are in the " won't happen to us" mindset sometimes. Thanks for the link :)

Are we ever prepared for the unexpected? Even though we can make plans in readiness there will always be something unexpected that can occur....I guess that's life....it just ain't easy sometimes.
Lyn

Not in the slightest! When I was a teenager in Scotland my mother had a squirrel cupboard for when we got snowed in - it included candles, tinned food, matches, torches etc. Not sure what I would prepare with? Will check your website. Bit grim for you Ali!

We keep a large plastic trash can in our garage which is stocked with supplies in case of an earthquake (we live in San Diego) or other disaster, and we update it with a new first aid kit and water every year. I also have a list of must-takes if we ever need to leave in a hurry. We also have a window ladder for fire escapes and an alternate exit plan. It's good to have a plan - peace of mind and the safety of my family are priceless.
Thanks for drawing attention to this, Ali!

That depends on the scale of the distater! I consider myself lucky to live in Australia not so bad at responding to Natural disasters but yes I have water a torch the documents in a safish place and mostly enough food for about a week. And having had to evacuate once, one piece of advice, don't forget the tooth brush because they may drop supplies but a toothbrush is way down the list! I guess one day I'll get the radio!

prepared? not this fly by the seat of your pants kinda gal . . . .however . . . i just signed up for two of your classes at split rock and I am soooo prepared to take them! lovin' my priorties. lol

check out Flylady.net for 11 points of preparedness... Her lis has a little more heart and reminds us to have things in our Emergency Kit like pet food and a leash, important phone #'s and photo cd's etc. I say all this but I still don't have my stuff together. I have water and peanut butter and that's about it.... UGH!

after living in S FL for 3 hurricane seasons (2 being some of the most active in history) we are prepared.

We live in Tornado Alley, so we are generally prepared for that. My secret weapon for rushing DD to the basement? I keep all candy in the basement! So going to the basement for a tornado is a big treat for DD. Last storm we had, she was eating a fruit roll-up with one hand, a bottle of water in the other, and rummaging around going, "Where is that jar of Tootsie Rolls???" She's so sugar-shocked there's no chance of her going back to sleep, but at least she's not scared! ;-)
Thanks for the Ready.gov website. I've also found a lot of good emergency preparedness info at the Red Cross website. Good luck with your preparations!

no, not even close to being prepared. In Chicago there was nothing to really be concerned about, but on the east coast we're learning about the threat of hurricanes ;)
what a good reminder :)

We put together an emergency kit earlier this year. You'll feel so much better once you do.

I have heard about a Survivor / preparedness kit at Costco for around $120. I haven't seen it, but they had said it's good for something like 27 days????? Worth checking out. I keep forgetting to look for it while there.

Not only do I live in Florida, but have lived just about everywhere else in the US and have experienced everything from Hail and Blizzards to Category 5 hurricanes. Because of my experiences, I have become a volunteer and an Instructor for the American Red Cross. The reason I chose the ARC is because they have been everywhere I have been, they are the ultimate in disaster relief and they are all over the world. Not to mention they've been doing this for a little of 125 years. 90% of it's workforce is volunteer led, and they serve a great purpose. Even in the military, they were there right along side with us during natural disasters. We had a lot of local brush fires in my county of Florida where hundreds of Acres are non existant now, if it wasn't for the red cross stepping in and setting up shelters and kitchens and aid closets there would be a lot of people without.
Why am I saying all this? Because I believe in this organization. They aren't selling for profit, they are selling so they can continue to save lives. Please consider purchasing your Emergency Preparedness Kits from them, where 100% of the cost goes back into the organization, not into someone else's bottome line. https://www.redcrossstore.org/
And if you haven't already, sign up for their classes and be better prepared for life's little disasters too, from a choking person or child, to a cardiac arrest, or a burn. The Red Cross is there to help!
...Stepping Off Soapbox...

Here's another site that has some great lists and ideas: www.providentliving.org
It's so important to be prepared for anything that can come along- I think that the events last year show that we can't sit back and expect others to take care of us when things go bad. Disaster can strike even here. When something that catastrophic happens it will take a while (hopefully not that long again)for large scale aide to come to come in. Our Emergengcy packs, if we have them, will provide the necessary things at the very least for our families and our neighbors. It's not all that easy though- I'm still working on putting our family's together! Maybe I could even scrap about trying to be prepared!

I keep thinking that I should get stuff ready, especially after the forest fires that raged through here in early July (and having been through an evacuation back in '99)... I have the info, just need to apply it. :) Thanks for the reminder.

Do you believe we have a metal bomb shelter in our basement that was built in the 50's? Which is great, but I have nothing stored in it. Definitely need to stock it up - great reminder!

I'm good with a 72hr Go kit and then it gets a little "ify." Really, every person should have a at least a two week supply. A six month store is great (e.g.,epidemics). Sorry if this sounds a bit alarmist, but we have become so accustomed to depending on others for our survival. September is a great month to get prepared and strive for a little independence, I think.

I took a saftey preparedness here in San Francisco. They recommended keeping a crowbar under your bed just in case you have to pry your way out of your room or house. Maybe a little alarmist, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Of course, I still don't have an earthquake kit...

If you want the low down on everything you need for preparedness you've got to check out www.providentliving.org It's got tons of advice and a way to figure out what to keep handy and how to store it all. It's a great resource.