Preparing for after the Disaster

Tornadoes have devastated parts of the United States this spring, resulting in loss of life and severe damage to community infrastructure and utilities. After tornado season comes hurricane season. It’s vitally important to prepare.

Cenovio Villa is a veteran of dozens of disaster missions with United Aid Foundation. He offers some important tips for preparing for the disaster aftermath:

Start with a generator, water filters and miscellaneous hand tools.

Keep your vehicles full of gas at all times. Treat the half tank line as “empty.”

I find that if you go fill up at 1-2 am there are no people at gas stations ( people tend to worry and sit in line as long as it doesn’t go beyond their bedtime)

Fill up an extra 10 gallons to keep for generators, etc.

I fill up all of our cars tanks before a hurricane. We have 4 vehicles which is roughly 80-100 gallons that I have readily available in case of a prolonged power outage and no fuel locally

Prep a quick day bag in case you have to evacuate quickly (1-2 days of clothes, snacks, small hand tools, cash, etc)

Walkie talkies to connect with your immediate family. Cell service is always spotty in disaster areas

Prep a “safe room” in the event you don’t have time to evacuate. Keep canned food, water, solar lights, a crank radio, first aid kit, and cash.

If you own a gun and feel you need it for security, keep it ready with ammunition; always in a safe and secure place in the home.

Be ready to figure out whatever comes your way. Most tools/services will be down for a couple days. Don’t be afraid to “think outside the box” when a problem arises and you don’t have the right tools/supplies to fix it.