It’s National Preparedness Month – Time to Check Your Supplies!
Bloggin’ Mamas is sponsoring this giveaway to help YOU build your disaster preparedness kit.
It’s that time of the year again – National Preparedness Month. With the hustle of back-to-school squashed between the looming holiday season it’s easy to forget about the importance of being prepared. No matter the circumstances in your family, preparedness is an important task.
Preparedness doesn’t have to be complicated though.
The first step is the Be Informed. Understand the types of emergencies that are most likely to happen in your area. That way you can tailor the plan you make. Also take into consideration your pets, children, elderly, and anyone in your family with a disability of any kind. This great video (close captioned and signed!) shows how to help anyone prepare themselves for the unexpected.
The next step is to Make a Plan. This may involve talking with medical and health care providers about access to medications in case of emergency, as well as designating out of state contacts. You also want to help your family practice what they might do in case of emergency – make it a fun game for the kids!
Then you will be ready to Build a Kit. Assemble the emergency and evacuation supplies that you might need for each person. Be sure to include medical information and out-of-state contact information for each member of the family, in case you get separated! Often parents assume they will be with their children, but that doesn’t always happen, so have a family communication plan in place. Remember it can take 72 hours or longer for emergency relief workers to get set up on scene.
Lastly, Get Involved. If you’re wondering how to help friends and family in your community there are many things you can do. From helping prepare at a community level to volunteering to assist others, giving back is so rewarding.
What are you doing this month to make your family safer and better prepared?
Now for the giveaway!
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
Giveaway ends September 30th, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to US, 18+ only
The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received Open to USA, 18+ only. Limit one entrant per household. Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. My blog is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest, Instagram or Klout.
This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admin of the giveaway if the winner has met the rules or not.
We have an escape route planned for if the house catches on fire. We have an evacuation plan in place for if a wildfire threatens our home. And I keep my RV stocked with necessities at all times, with the hope that the RV holds up better in an earthquake than the house does. If there is an emergency, we are as prepared as I can get us. I just hope everyone is home to help care for all of our animals as needed!
We have water, flashlights, nonperishable food products, first aid, and evacuation routes planned if necessary.
I don’t do anything to prepare for natural disaster’s. I guess I should start.
We board up our house and head over to my parent’s house. We have food, water, flashlights, and other essentials there.
Bottled water everywhere in here.Band Aids everywhere in here.Canned goods in the cupboards.Water filter on the counter and in the fridge!Flashlights everywhere in here.This area of Kitchener has a lot of issues with HYDRO.
I… am completely unprepared. I should have extra water, first aid kits, blankets flashlights, emergency radio… but I have nothing!! You never think that kind of thing will happen… but it’s good to be prepared!
In the hidden closet beneath the stairs, I keep bottled water, blankets & a flashlight with batteries. I am going to get some packages of survival food. Need to store some dog stuff too.
We make sure we have a lot of flashlights. Also that there is food in the house.
The most probable natural disaster here would be a tornado. In the basement, I have food, water, blankets, and a flashlight ready.
Thanks for a generous giveaway!
I stock up on water and food incase of a disaster. I also make sure we have a safe place to go for an emergency and have emergency lighting.
dont live on the coast,not in eathquake zone..mostly the worst thing that can happen is a minority uprising over some kinda police or racism propaganda like maryland…as gor being prepared..not even close,im way behind
Was a racist comment really necessary?
We practice our emergency procedures at home. We also have some extra food stored if we need it.
Natural disasters happen, and will continue to plague this world until after Armageddon, when the whole earth will become a paradise filled with righteous individuals. (Psalm 37:9-11; Revelation 21:3-5) So, for the time being, we have gathered a modest amount of food, water, medications, clothing & other necessities in case an unexpected emergency strikes this area. However, we have assurance that our Christian brothers & sisters will help in any way they can (John 13:34,35; Galatians 6:10), until repairs and other needs are fully taken care of and we can get back to our ‘regular’ routines.
We stock up on food and water. We have another place we can go to if needed.
We have emergency and first aid kits ready. Evacuation plans for multiple emergencies.
I live in California and we’ve been preparing for earthquakes all our lives. We have supplies scattered in various parts of the house, because who knows which corner of the house will stay intact after a big quake.
We have an exit plan and a supply of things that we might need, water, blankets, batteries, flashlights, xtra clothes, etc.
We make sure we have a stockpile of water, food, candles, and flashlights.
We make sure we have a stockpile of water, food, candles, and flashlights. We also have evacuation plans in case of a fire. We do need to figure out a communication plan as cell phone batteries don’t last long.
I order a big pack of batteries in each major kind. Make sure I have new flashlights, since they tend to disappear throughout the year. And order a couple cases of MRE’s
I live in Hawaii now, so I’m always trying to prepare just in case. I have plenty of water and canned food in my garage. I also have emergency candles/flashlights and I always leave a battery powered light beside of my bed, as well. I also have extra food and water for my dog.
We have flashlights, canned food, and camping gear (propane stove, lanterns, etc.). We also make sure to keep our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in good shape.
I make sure to get bottled water and canned goods.
Several years ago we had a power failure that lasted four days. Being on a well, that meant I also had no water. Now I keep many gallons of bottled water on hand and make sure there are working flashlights and batteries available.
I have a food supply on hand.
We have prepared for a natural disaster by having fuel for the genearator. We also have stored water, dried goods, first aid kit, etc in case of emergencies.
I should be more prepared
But I always make sure to keep extra bottled water around, plus I always keep a flashlight and a wind up radio in one spot so I know where they are.
It’s a start.
We try to have enough water for our family for 3 days. We try to keep enough canned food and dried fruit for 3 days as well. We also try to keep the cars in good condition and with an full(almost) tank for a quick getaway, if the emergency station says to run that is. We have also made a bag that we can just grab with a few outfits and a couple bottled waters and a few granola bars for if it’s the house we’re running from.
I keep bottled water, non-perishables, blankets, and flashlights and tools in a bin just in case we ever need them.
I keep bottled water, non-perishables, blankets, and flashlights and tools in a bin just in case we ever need them. I’ve also coordinated with neighbors to designate several of our homes as possible fallout shelters if the disaster called for that.
We really have not done all that much to prepare for a natural disaster. We do have a plan to evacuate in the case of a hurricane. We have decided which things we will grab and take with us. We will take both vehicles and decide on a place to meet that is far enough away to be safe in case we get separated in the process. There was just a tornado that touched down last night about 30 miles away from us so I guess we need to give that scenario some thought also. We had a generator when we lived in Ohio, but did not bring it with us when we moved to South Carolina. Need to think about getting one.
I’ve never had to plan for a natural disaster. We’re not in a flood zone, we don’t get many/any tornadoes. Blizzards give us plenty of warning and then we just stock up on food and fuel.
We keep a container together with emergency supplies and copies of important papers.
I always keep a pretty good food supply. I really do need to work on having the other items together though.
We have flashlights, candles, water, batteries, nonperishables. We also make sure we have dog & cat food. Thank you for the chance!
I kerp several first aid kits around the house and in the car. O alsi keep water and snacks with it
Honestly, I’m from New England and I was raised in a perpetual state of preparedness when it comes to extreme weather.
Basically, I make sure there is enough food and water for a disaster at all times. I make sure there is a safe place. There is so much more I could do, but we tend to not have many disasters where I live
We make sure we have provisions in place and easy to grab if we have to hurry up and leave for any reason. We also keep batteries, flashlights, and food that doesn’t expire quickly in case we are without power for a while.
We live in a tornado area. We keep flashlights and batteries. We also have a generator.
I have food and water and a solar radio, plus other supplies in case of earthquake. And, I have a list, and things prepared to take, in case I need to evacuate in case of fire.
I have food and water in the basement. Flashlights and a generator in case the power goes out.
Well I don’t live near the coast, in a tornado hotspot, or in an earthquake zone, so really there’s nothing much to prepare for besides a zombie apocalypse. We do have first aid, bottled water, and canned goods so im pretty satisfied with that.
i stock up on water,flashlights,canned goods
We’re not nearly as prepared as we should be.
I AM NOT REALLY PREPARED FOR A DISASTER BUT IT WOULDN’T HURT TO STOCK UP ON SOME BOTTLED WATER
We have a family plan so that everyone has an idea what to do and avoids panicking. We also keep a stock of canned goods and water filters. My mother is a prepper and keeps trying to get me to join full-force.
I don’t do anything.
I have a “Prepper Pantry” that I try to buy an item for every time I am at the store. I also have a cabinet in the guest bathroom that holds the gallon jugs of water I have saved. I try to buy one every time I am at the store as well. When I am able I also sock away small bills ($1’s and $5’s) in different areas of the house. Between trying to keep those things up and organized, I try to continue learning of new ideas that I can slowly implement.
I always have extra bottled water on hand. I also have canned food and some other food items available. I have flashlights that are hand cranked so I don’t have to worry about batteries, too.
My husband and I have an escape route planned and a box of emergency supplies just in case we need them. We keep flashlights and emergency kits throughout our house as well!
To prepare for a natural disaster I have gotten together “go bags” for the whole family. Which have flashlights food and water in case of an emergency.
Here in Southern California, we have to always be prepared for the BIG earhtquake. We have emergency kits in all vehicles and enough supplies stored in our RV for at least a week. Our home is well stocked with water and foods for us and our pets. We rotate the supplies to make sure everything is up to date.
We have a pack with water, flashlight, blanket and food. We make sure everyone knows where it is and what to do.
We bought a number of preparedness items after Hurricane Sandy where we were without electricity for about 6 days. I bought a bin of dried food that is good for 25 years. We have several windup flashlights. One also includes a radio. We have a shortwave radio and several LED lamps (which do require batteries). We thought about a generator, but it’s just too expensive for something we may never need.
We always have blankets, water, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, first aid kit, & a battery operated radio on hand here. Most of all, we have prayer! We have had tornadoes.
I keep a supply of bottles water on hand. I also have first aid supplies and food that can be eaten without cooking. Lastly, I keep flashlights and extra batteries on hand.
I live in Washington State where we always have to be prepared for earthquakes. We have an emergency kit filled with non-perishable food, water, medical supplies, batteries, etc. And we also have an emergency plan in place.
We have a power out pack ready and since I am a first responser I will have to report to duty.
I live in a tornado area. I keep a battery charged lantern next to my bed.
I live in Houston and have been through major floods and hurricanes. We keep water/food/etc and also own a lifted Jeep 4×4 to evacuate quickly in.
We have a stockpile of food in case of disaster.
I live in North Alabama. We worry about tornadoes more than anything else. I make sure I have cash,water,can food, dog food,batteries, and gas in my car.
We don’t really have anything prepared for a natural disaster. We have ways to cook without power, and that’s about it. We really need to work on this!
I have stored bottled water, flashlights, I keep up on my can goods and read up on survival skills
We practice an escape routes and stockpile food and water.
I’m in WI… we don’t really have natural disasters as I’m right on Lake Michigan so even tornadoes which frequent our state do not come near us…. About 5 years ago we had flooding in June, but that wasn’t really something we could prepare for until it had hit and it wasn’t all that bad. We’re used to the snow so I highly doubt we’ll ever truly be snowed in. However, I suppose if we did have to prepare for a natural disaster I’d stock pile nonperishable foods and water bottles, towels and blankets and maybe a couple outfits in waterproof space saver bags, etc.
I always have a list of supplies to grab. I’m signed up for mobile alerts with some emergency and weather services.
We keep extra water, canned foods, extra medications, shoes by the bed and a crank radio.
I make sure very important papers are in fireproof/waterproof containers, get flashlights/batteries, water, blankets, portable radio, and make sure I have access to weather alerts.
My husband and I have a ton of bottled water and many types of canned foods on hand in case something ever does happen.
We make sure that we have the medical basics. We also have a supply of bottled water. The pantry is also stocked with lots of canned goods in case of emergency
I have a stash of food. I have important papers in a waterproof bag. I have blankets in my car.
We make sure we have all the necessary supplies- food, clothing, water, batteries, etc.. we also make sure to board the windows.
Our family has a first aid kit.We have an evacuation plan if we need to leave.We also have enough food and water to last about a week.
I’m stocked up on everything I would need in an emergency at home. I also carry an emergency bag in the trunk of my car.
We live in Florida and we’re out of any flood zones, so hurricanes would be the most likely issue for us. Non perishable food and water are what we stock up on. In 2004, we were without electricity for over a week.
I have canned goods in the cupboards,water everywhere in bottles,a filter in the fridge,on the counter,band aides everywhere,candles,flashlights,and other lighting devices that run on battery.No choice in the area of Kitchener I live in.Seems the power goes out a lot here!
I live in Florida so we are pros at preparing for hurricanes. When we hear that one is heading our way we buy bottled water and extra food. If the hurricane is going to be strong we consider leaving the area until the threat has passed.
I always keep certain supplies on hand. We always have batteries, flashlights, and canned goods at hand, and keep a supply of bottled water.
I have not ever done anything to prepare for a natural disaster. I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
We make sure we have plenty of water and batteries to tide us over!
We have escape plans. We also have some supplies just in case we are stuck inside for a while.
We have emergency supply kits ready in case of any emergency. We also educate our kids on what to do in case of a natural disaster which in our area would mostly be flooding.
In order to prepare for a natural disaster we keep a first aide kit stocked. We have bottled water, canned goods, candles, and batteries on hand.
make sure we have candles, matches, batteries, bottled water, i fill up our tubs so we have water for flushing toilets, wash all the clothes and have lots of ready to eat meals and snacks on hand.
Stock up on water, canned goods, batteries and a way to hear news without electricity. As well as having a stocked up first aid kit, blankets and a way to contact family & friends.
I can’t say that I’ve done anything to prepare for a national disaster. I’ve got a pantry downstairs in our basement that has extra food, and we could live in our basement for awhile if needed, but I haven’t made any special preparations.
We live in Florida, so there is always a threat of a hurricane. We have a to-go list with water, batteries, flashlights, candles, and non-perishable food items. We also have a place to go if necessary, to get out of the path of an incoming storm.
I have a plan with my family on where to meet. We also have food reserves in case we get snowed in, as well as having first aid supplies.
We are used to having to get ready for hurricane seasons where we live. Most of the time we make sure that the generator is good working order, and that we have flashlights and battery’s on hand.
I like to keep a tote with essentials like bottled water and crackers along with a blanket . It helps me keep a piece of mind just in case. I hope I never have to use it tho!
We make sure we have flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, firewood, and propane for the grill. I also make sure I have a good book to read, my phone is charged, and the board games are ready.
i don’t actually prepare
I don’t live in an area with tornados/earthquakes, etc so I don’t do a whole lot to prepare. We just have flashlights and batteries, that is about it.
I have been creating a stock pile of food by couponing and storing it on a wire shelf in the closet. I bought rope and stocked some tools in a toolbox. I save coupons for future months when I can. I stock up in bulk on hygiene products.
We have a container with emergency supplies, such as food and water.
I live in Illinois and we prepare for possible tornadoes by having a plan as to where to go to take shelter if one should hit our area. And we have flashlights, food, water and a first aid kit.
We gather a ton of water, gas for the generator, tons of easy to handle food if the power does go out. A ton of batteries.
After living in New Orleans for most of my life, I am pretty good at preparing for hurricane disasters! Now in Birmingham, I am a LOT more laid back, but I need to do better at stocking up on water and batteries!
We have a pretty heavy tornado season where I live. I try to make sure that we have food and bottled water ready to go, and that we have first aid supplies ready. Be prepared!
We don’t seem to have many natural disasters where we live. I hate to admit it, but if something happened, I don’t think we would be prepared! Thanks for the tips.
I always have candles and flashlights around the house in case of a power outage. I also have a small store of non-perishable foods. Soon, I am hoping to get a generator.
We live in Florida so right now is hurricane season. Praising God we haven’t had any big hurricanes hit us in a few years. But we are as prepared as we are able to be with water and food essentials, along with lists of meds and other essentials we should take should we have to evacuate.
We have a generator and non perishable food.
I have earthquake-preparedness supplies on hand at home, as well as in my car – including several cases of bottled water, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, canned/packaged foods, etc. My family also has an escape plan in place in the event that we need to evacuate.
1) Stock up on food.
2) Stock up on medicine.
3) Prepare energy alternatives.
I have a LOT of non-perishable foods!!
I can’t say I do a lot to prepare. We do have meal packs and canned food. We also have water cleaning bottles and first aid supplies.
I go get a generator and stock up on water and foods I can eat
We have water, flashlights, nonperishable food products, first aid, and evacuation routes planned if necessary.
I make sure I have plenty of bottled water. I also make sure that there is plenty of non-perishable items as well as batteries and a flashlight.
Sadly really nothing much I have water and batteries and some canned food but that’s about it
we stock up everything from food to water candles to batteries its also good to have a small radio for updates and warm clothing.
We make sure to have a month supply of water for everyone in the event of a disaster. It is a good idea to stalk up on canned goods when they are on sale. We also keep a huge first aid kit underneath the sink in the bathroom.
We always have bottled water in the house. I live in AZ, so we mostly keep prepared for the heat. When the monsoons come, we have sandbags to keep the house from flooding.
I have an emergency ‘go bag’ ready just in case. Generally I jsut choose to live in places that don’t get many natural disasters. Which is sort of hard lol.
We have an escape plan and a family meeting place. We also have food water, flashlight, emergency kit etc ready to grab at any time.
Canned food, flashlights, candles, blankets and a heat source is important. One time we had an ice storm and we were without power and heat! It was not good.
Have extra water/food. Have a generator. Extra batteries and flashlights. Practice emergency drills.
We really need to work on ours. But we have canned goods and water stored and we live right by the fire department so we can go there if need be!
We keep at least a month’s worth of food and water standing by, as well as a first aid kit, all necessary medications and items for self defense
We have a disaster box with supplies if we need to shelter in home. We also keep a pantry stocked with food that we continually rotate to keep fresh.
I haven’t really done anything to get ready for a natural disaster but i have extra food water and batteries on hand
I have several cases of water on hand at all times, an all-in-one solar/hand crank radio, flashlight, cell phone charger and first aid kit. It’s not much but better than nothing at all.
The only thing I really prepare for is a tornado, then I take snacks, water, weather radio, phone, blankets/pillows and ipad to entertain kids while in basement
Living in the desert, I just make sure we have lots of extra water on hand.
We stock up on water, batteries, a flashlight and food in case of an emergency.
We stock up on water, batteries, a flashlight and food in case of an emergency. We have to worry about tornadoes here. We keep out supplies in the basement where we go when the siren go off.
We always keep flashlights, batteries, a radio that operates on batteries, drinking water and food that can be consumed without cooking.
I don’t know how to prepare for a national disaster. I would do my best to get out, and get as far away as possible. Fight or Flight. I guess I Flight.
Thank You for the giveaway…we keep a “go bag” for each family member with clothes, toothbrush, soap, etc., and we have a few XXL plastic Rubbermaid containers filled with bottled water, sleeping bags, flashlights, etc. in our garage.
We have quite a few supplies stocked up in case of a emergency. We have flashlights, lots of cans of food all prepared and ready if needed.
The plan in the event of a hurricane is to stay at my grandparent’s house, they have a generator. Pretty much all of the other disaster plans end with getting to my grandparent’s house as well.
We have food and water stored and know which exits to take.
I have nothing prepared. The only thing that ever happens around here is the power goes out and I have flashlights and candles for that. If something else ever happens I’ll be unprepared.