homestead educational channel
READ

Homestead Education Channel is supported by its audience.  When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

No matter where you live in the world, you are likely subject to natural disasters. Whether it be flood, fire, hurricanes or something else that’s human caused; as a homesteader, you should make preparations to ensure that you and your loved ones can survive.

When it comes to disasters that are widespread over time and distance, recovery can be slow. In the more rural areas it can be days or even weeks to restore services  and even longer for relief workers to get into the area with supplies. You may have no one else to rely on but yourselves.

Would you be okay if suddenly you had no electricity, no water, no way to get cash from the bank, or to fuel your vehicles? Could you feed your family, your animals, and have resources to get you through the immediate needs of a disaster scenario? Obviously, we never know what’s coming, but we can do some planning ahead, just in case.

That old saying of, “Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” is absolutely correct. In this article, we’ll discuss a couple of potential disaster scenarios and what you need to have on hand, at the very least, to survive in the short term of a true disaster. We want you to be able to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and cared for until the disaster is over, and your region can recover its infrastructure.

Have a plan in place and review it regularly. If you have children, you should do drills. Even if there’s never been a natural disaster in your area, you should still formulate a plan in case of fire in or around your home. Reviewing your plan means routinely going over your plan, making sure that everything you need is in working order, that you have fresh batteries in flashlights, and you have tested things like generators. Make sure your vehicles are fueled up and that your fresh water stores are clean and ready to drink. Make sure medications on hand have not expired, and that you have everything up to date. Other things that need updating are clothes. If you have children, make sure that the clothes in your “Go” bags are replaced regularly with clothes that will fit your children.

Stay stocked up on animal feed and supplements, and be sure they are stored correctly so they won’t spoil or be damaged by water. If your animals require medication, that needs to be kept current as well.

There is a segment of the population that are deeply into “prepping,” with bunkers full of supplies, and YouTubers known as “doomsday preppers” that are espousing end of the world scenarios where you’ll need what they sell to survive. Trust me, that’s a rabbit hole that can take you weeks to navigate. We’re not talking about anything that drastic.

There are two basic scenarios we’re going to look at. 

  1. You shelter in place. Stay in your home. 
  2. You leave or “Bug Out” in the event of a major disaster(think wildfire, flood or hurricane.)

This depends on the nature and expected duration of the incident. If it’s a fire, You’re probably going to leave until the danger’s over.

If it’s a flood or storm surge, you’ll probably need  to leave until the waters recede and you can evaluate any damage. Another type of storm, such as a blizzard or ice storm, you’ll probably shelter in place. 
Let’s look at meeting your family’s basic needs in the event of a natural disaster. Supposing you were to lose power and the estimate for getting it back is 5-7 days. What needs can you meet, and what “preps” would you need to rely on to meet the rest of your needs until the power is restored?

Basic Needs (shelter in place)

Food – You should have plenty of food on hand, and ideally, a way to warm it up. While cold food isn’t the worst, a hot meal is comforting. The truth is, your family could live on a well stocked pantry for far longer than a week. 

Refrigeration becomes a problem without power. This is where a back-up generator is handy. Not only for keeping your food cold, but to cook with as well. If it’s a winter storm event, you can take advantage of cold conditions to keep food fresh if your power is out. You can even melt snow for water if you are caught in a desperate situation. The point is to be prepared, so that you automatically go into “emergency prep” mode and not only you, but the entire household would know what to do, and how to set up for a sheltering in place scenario.

The best setup to have would be gas. If you have propane and a cookstove, even a camping sized stove, that would be enough to cook on.  If you knew your frozen food was going to defrost, you could actually cook and can the food on a propane powered stove to keep it from spoiling. Canned foods don’t require refrigeration.

Pro-Tip – Refrain from opening freezers and refrigerators too often, in order to keep food frozen and fresh longer.
Shelter- As long as your home isn’t compromised or threatened, you will want to shelter in place. Take your cue from emergency workers if evacuation orders are present. Sheltering in place doesn’t mean life as usual, but staying vigilant in keeping everyone safe, fed and ready, in case you need to leave.Water-  FEMA recommends you store 14 gallons of water per person in case of emergency. That’s one gallon a day for each 2 weeks. There are various methods of doing this, including these Water Storage Cubes

Make sure that your kids have their individual water storage bottles filled and animal water topped off if you have advanced notice of an impending disaster.  Being proactive really can make the difference between life or death for you and your animals.

Power – This is where your generator is one of the best investments you can make in preparing for a disaster. Keeping your food fresh, keeping lights on at night, and for preparing food, a gas -powered generator is the ticket. These generators do take fuel to run them, so be sure you have some stored in the event of an emergency. Keep cell phones charged.

Basic Needs (evacuation plan)
Food – Have your “Go” bags packed and ready, and your vehicle equipped with extra water, blankets and food. Pack that propane camp stove and bottles of extra gas, too. You may end up camping out for some time, so think ahead as if you’re undertaking a prolonged camping trip.

Shelter – If you’re leaving home,  you’ll need a predetermined destination where you can relocate that will take you all away from danger. The route to this location must also be passable, and you should always, always, have a “Plan B” just in case your first plan gets scuttled.

Remember that in flooding situations, entire sections of road can be washed away, and so can your vehicle. Don’t take chances trying to cross running water. Use alternate routes, or shelter in place where you can. Pack tents in case you get stranded short of your destination so you can camp for the night and make alternate plans for the next day. Driving blind in the dark without being assured of a safe route is always a bad idea.


Water- Pack as much as you can carry until you get to your destination and you can refill your containers. If you’re on foot, obviously that’s harder. If you have a wagon or rolling cart of some kind, use that to carry extra food and water. In some situations, such as wildfire, you just have to grab and go, so I can’t stress it enough that you need to have your water containers freshly filled and ready to drink.

Power- If you do need to evacuate, take your chargers for phones, laptops,tablets and watches with you. Bring extra batteries for flashlights and fuel for generators. If you have room to pack your generator it can really be a lifesaver. Take as many vehicles as you have drivers and drive in a caravan together to keep track of each other and have pre-arranged stopping points for bathroom or fuel stops. Fuel up at the first available opportunity for the vehicles and gas cans for the generators.

Communications – While this is not necessarily needed for basic survival, having at least one form of communication can feel like a lifeline to the rest of the world. The odds of there being WiFi are low, but you might be able to get to a place that has satellite Internet, so you can contact friends and loved ones to let them know your status, and to get regular updates on the status of the recovery in your area. 

In most major disaster areas, there is usually a shelter or evacuation center set up and run by the Red Cross, a charity service or government agency that disseminates information and gives regular updates to those who are affected by disasters.

Another important thing to remember. In a disaster scenario where you’re going to have to evacuate to a shelter or a hotel room, is to have cash money. Odds are that ATMs and bank systems will also be  down if there is a power outage. You probably won’t be able to use any type of debit or credit card if you’re traveling, until you get out of the disaster area. Having some cash stashed away for such an emergency can mean the difference between purchasing fuel and having a room to sleep in, or being stranded in your car.

In closing, it’s always better to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Keep alert, prepared, and keep your family and loved ones safe. 

Here at  http://homesteadeducationchannel.com/, we are dedicated to helping you find resources, education, and information regarding all aspects of the homesteading lifestyle.

Photos courtesy of Pixels.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

take the plunge

Ready to take the first step toward your homesteading dream?

Sign up now to receive our exclusive beginner’s guide and start your journey with confidence.