September is National Preparedness Month

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September is National Preparedness Month

Are you prepared? Are you ready for whatever comes your way? I would say that almost 50-75% of Americans today aren’t ready for any sort of disaster.  I am not just talking about catastrophic events such as nuclear war, the Yellow Stone super volcano or anything like that – I am talking about something as simple as a hurricane.  A situation where the power may be off for a week or more can leave you devastated.  Ask me how I know?  Yes, I have been there before.  September is here and it is National Preparedness month – where do you stand?

Raising Awareness

September is National Preparedness Month, and while I’m usually pretty critical of how our government plans for, prepares for and reacts to disasters, I do like the fact that they dedicate the month of September to preparedness awareness. Anything that increases awareness and causes people to think about how they would react during a disaster is a good thing.

During the month of September, we are trying to raise awareness with our readers, followers on social media, and subscribers on YouTube about the importance of being prepared.  Help us by reaching out to your friends, family and by sharing this on social media.

This can be a good time to encourage those stubborn friends and family to prepare. You can use National Preparedness Month as a way to connect with those that would normally just shrug off the idea of being prepared.  This could be the thing they need to finally take a little more seriously.

It is kind of crazy to think about but most people nowadays – will only take action if they see others doing something.  We all want to be a part of something so why not make that something – prepping?  You could always say – all the cool kids are doing it!

Steps to take to raise awareness

  1. Talk about the most likely disasters they will face –

So, no matter where you are in your prepping adventure – now is not the time to start talking about World War Three, bunkers, or having to drink your own urine. We already get a bad reputation from the media.  The media likes to portray preppers as a bunch of lunatics who are all obsessed with having bunkers full of ammunition and MRE’s; don’t contribute to that stereotype.

Take this opportunity to show your friends and family examples of local disasters that have affected your area in the past. Share what you would have done in order to prepare for those situations that have happened and could happen again. Also, share that no one really knows when these types of things are going to happen and it helps to be prepared.

2. Encourage them to start small –

Also Read:  10 food storage items that almost never go bad

The absolute last thing you should do is to overwhelm someone who is new to the process of prepping. Think baby steps – start slow, and ease them into the process of preparing for disasters.

Start with the need

Start by showing them examples of how stores sell out of supplies within hours of a disaster.  In 2008, we were living in Houston when Hurricane Ike came through.  The local stores were sold out of the simplest of things such as water and bread within just 2-3 hours.

It is incredibly important for people to make sure they have enough food and water to sustain themselves for at least 1 week. (Normally, I recommend 2 weeks, but if you’re trying to help someone who’s resistant to the idea it’s almost always better to start small.)

Make them think.

Ask them what they would do in a situation where the everyday systems are shut down. How would they get money out of the bank if the power was down? What supplies would they need during a power outage and in what quantities? How would they get water out of a well during a power outage? The goal is to get them thinking.

Show them how to create a Preparedness Kit.

After discussing what they’ll need in those situations, help them put together a basic preparedness kit. Remember, this is not the time to go overboard here, limit it to the bare essentials and be glad they are at least taking some action in order to prepare.

Giving the gift of Preparedness.

You can use National Preparedness Month as a reason to give someone the gift of preparedness. Do you know of someone who needs to be a little more prepared?  Why not give them a disaster kit? Put together a small bag or bucket filled with some of the basic essentials.

It doesn’t have to be huge or super expensive but it should get them thinking about more ways to become prepared.

Use this month to re-evaluate your preparedness as well.  What types of disasters might affect your and your immediate family? Are you prepared?  Take some time and check your preps to see if you are truly prepared.

Also Read:  10 food storage items that almost never go bad

If you like this article on National Preparedness Month, please share it on social media and with friends.  For all the latest recipes, container gardening tips and growing guides subscribe to our newsletter in sidebar.

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 september is national preparedness month, Backyard Eden, www.backyard-eden.com

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Hi, I’m John.

John grew up on a farm where his family raised chickens, goats, rabbits, and grew a huge garden. John has a family of his own and gardens to know where his food comes from. Learn more..

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