Seven Quick-Fixes To Organize & Prepare Your Home For Natural Disasters

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With all the mess going on in Chile and Haiti, this guest post couldn’t come at a better time!  Are you prepared?  ~Kelli

Even though you may be pretty sure that natural disasters like flood, earthquake, tornado, or hurricane may never happen in your area, it is very important to prepare your home and organize it in case of an unfortunate disaster. Here are the seven quick-fixes you can implement to protect your family and your home if the natural disaster strikes.

1. Create an emergency tool kit that includes all the essential supplies such as toilet paper, soap, diapers, personal hygiene products, and hardware products like a wrench, pliers, scissors, matches, and knifes.
2. Get a portable waterproof and fireproof container to put your important documents like deeds, wills, insurance policies, other miscellaneous financial documents, passport, and some extra cash.
3. Make sure your homeowner’s insurance is up-to-date and that it covers all the costs of replacing or repairing your home’s damages.
4. If you live in an earthquake prone area, strap any fuel tanks or gas tanks to the wall to avoid dangerous leaks. Identify your electrical master breaker switch, gas shut off valves, and water valves to turn off the supply in case of transmission damage.
5. Prepare your home for fire by getting an appropriate type of extinguisher for your home. There are three types of fire extinguishers – Class A, Class B, & Class C. The Class A fire extinguisher makes a great choice for rooms that have a lot of wood and other easy-to-burn items. Class B fire extinguisher is idea for rooms that have high concentration of flammable liquids, whereas Class C is mainly used for electrical short circuited fires. Class B-C fire extinguisher is ideal for kitchen, and Class A is generally used for bedrooms.
6. If you live in a flood-zone, keep sand bags handy. For storm prone areas, replace your old door with a special hurricane-rated door. Also consider weather-stripping your doors to prevent the water from damaging the structure of your home.
7. If you live in an area that experiences frequent wildfires, make sure there are no trees or dry bushes in the vicinity of your home. Keep them at least 40 feet away. Also, replace your wooden roofs with roofs made from fire-resistant material.

It is wise to adopt the old adage of “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” when it comes to preparing your home for natural disasters. Implement the above mentioned steps and save yourself from a lot of hassle in case of an unfortunate event.

About the Author:
Amy enjoys exploring topics of home organization, home and yard decoration. She is a tabletop fountain artist as well as a full-time business student. Amy invites you to browse beautiful collection of solar fountains for patio and garden enthusiasts.

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