Essential Survival Techniques for Natural and Manmade Disasters

If disaster were to strike, what would you do? A large-scale industrial accident. A terrorist bombing. Even war. Man-made disasters can turn life into chaos and upend our lives in a moment. Granted, tales of human-caused disasters rarely unfold like a movie, where medevac helicopters show up just in time. More often, as the catastrophe closure of Argo reminds us, the worst possible happenings occur as you’re trying to frantically make your escape. Despite this, we’re rarely as prepared for such events as we should be. While you likely wear a seatbelt while driving, you may not have your car emergency kit in the trunk. You may know that, if there’s a fire, the safest place is to crawl low and head toward the outside walls. But in the event that your home caught fire, would you know how to get all of your family out? We may think we know what to do, but when disaster happens, we can become confused and disoriented, suffering from the stress of the situation, the noise, debris and smoke. More than ever, it’s important that we prepare ourselves and our families so we can react, not just survive, in the aftermath of disaster.

The Reality of Man-Made Disasters

But before we start talking about how to prepare for one – an event usually seen as unlikely to happen to the listener – let’s address the elephant in the room: a lot of us don’t think disasters will happen to us. It’s easy to think: ‘That would never happen to me. That’s just something that happens in other places.’ But all major disasters begin with someone thinking that it couldn’t happen to them. Look at history: we all live together in constant, fevered jeopardy from industrial explosions, domestic arguments gone awry, natural disasters and more.

Still not convinced? Turn instead to recent history. Some of the biggest cities of the world have been locked down over terrorism, numerous industrial sites the epicenter of explosive devastation. Denying the chance a risk is no risk strategy. Preparation is the best defense.

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Preparing for the Unknown

So, how do you get started? Here’s a simple roadmap to help you prepare for man-made disasters, broken down into easy steps.

What would you do if disaster struck? Whether a massive industrial accident, a terrorist attack, or the domestic chaos of a war zone, the lurking specter of man-made disaster can turn our tranquil lives into a nightmare in an instant. It’s not just the stuff of big-budget movies: it happens in the real world. That doesn’t mean we have to live in fear of becoming the latest victims of the next tsunami. So view the next hour as the ultimate survival guide for you and your loved ones. This is what you need to do to get ready to deal with the chaos with confidence.

1. Educate: Knowledge equals protection. What are the risks in your area? Is there a chemical plant nearby? What is the local emergency evacuation plan?

2. Construct a Go-Bag: Your kit should be made to grab at a moment's notice and leave your current location if needed. Make sure it has water, nonperishable food, first-aid kit, flashlight, vital medications, and anything else you’ll need to live as well as you can for a while. Don’t leave out personal items that are essential to your family.

3. Create Communications Plans: There will be times when cell phones don’t function, or you will become separated. Come up with a communications plan by using a designated meeting spot and a resource outside of your area. Have a set of FRS radios at hand and that way you can stay in touch, but be a little more mobile about your home and property.

4. Rehearsals: Stage disaster drills in your home so that your family knows what they will do should, for example, your home catch fire. What if there was an active shooter in your high school? What should everyone do? Rehearsing the possibilities reduces panic by preparing agreement about what every member of the family would do in different circumstances.

5. Educate Yourself. Download community alerts, anti-hurricane apps, or follow social media feeds that report the latest developments. The better informed you are, the more prepared you can be. Be smart and stay safe.

6. Connect With Your Community: Meet up with local prepper groups or participate in community drills. Learning what others are doing and how can strengthen your own plan, and also help build a support network for everyone.

7. Work out what kind of protections you want for your home: Forget about being politically correct This is not a political exercise. You and your family’s physical health is not one to gamble upon. Life is not a video game, and this is not virtual reality. You will not re-spawn from another screen should you, or they be harmed by another. Acquire what you are capable of, within the law, to safeguard them from another doing as they please. If choosing a weapon, lock them safely away from youngsters. Train, train, train. Be exceedingly proficient with your means of protection. Not just only you, but everyone in your family of the age and maturity to do so, should be as well trained as you are. Remember, should something happen to you, they should be self-sufficient. The piece-of-mind this will bring is worth its weight in gold.

8. Spiritually fortify yourself: With all your foreknowledge, an emergency will still be hard to take. Rely on your faith. Moral support is often the difference between life and death. Stay steady and in control.

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Be proactive in preparing to help your family, friends, and neighbors.

‘But I don’t have time,’ you’re probably saying, or ‘What’s the chance this will even happen?’ If you’re worried about not having time, prepare yourself for a couple of hours – it might save lives, after all. And, as we’ll see, preparation doesn’t need to be done all at once. It can take place in the context of your routine. Why not make it a fun family project?

What’s Next?

So, now that you have some of the answers, what other questions should you be thinking about? Questions such as okay, but how do I remain composed in an emergency or, essentially, what does the mental preparation for surviving add to my chances of actually surviving? The answers to all those questions can make you even more empowered. Disaster or no disaster, when you prepare you lose the sense of being completely at the mercy of fate. Whatever has or hasn’t been thrown at you, the only thing you can’t control about a disaster is that it happens. Everything beyond that, you can absolutely control your response to.

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Your Safety is Worth It

We make significant financial sacrifices each month when we put money aside for insurance. We spend a lot on auto, home and health insurance. We’re taking the money out of our paychecks every month and giving it to the insurance companies in exchange for their promise to protect us, and then many times we find we don’t get what we paid for. The preparedness insurance you make for yourself, and others, is a sure thing. It's something that is entirely under your control.

Ultimately, it’s not about living in fear. It’s about taking back control. By following these steps, you can turn uncertainty into confidence. The world is uncertain. But if you try, you can at least ensure that you, your family, and your friends are ready for whatever the future brings.

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