Living Well Hurricane Harvey is barreling towards Texas and expected to make landfall tomorrow.
As Texans scramble to prepare for the storm – the first hurricane to hit Texas since 2008 – it's far better to always be prepared.
Here in Maryland, we're no strangers to natural disasters.
On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall in North Carolina.
Isabel quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it traveled up the East Coast. Forecasters warned of heavy rains and high winds, but no one predicted the strength of the storm surge.
Several peninsulas surrounding the Chesapeake Bay here in Maryland were hit particularly hard. The storm surge knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people for several days and damaged more than 2,000 buildings.
My assistant, who lived on one of these peninsulas at the times, told me that more than half the town lost power. Some families didn't see their power (or water) restored for more than a week. And the worst part was that no one was prepared.
In this day and age, no one expects to go a week without power and water. But past history shows, it's possible. Just look at Hurricane Katrina or 2010's "Snowmageddon." These storms were devastating and cost thousands of lives, combined.
While I don't expect everyone to be prepared for a week or more power and water loss, you should have enough provisions to at least last you a few days. This gives you the ability to survive the worst and, hopefully, evacuate when you're able to do so.
Of course, if you live in an area that has a high risk of natural disasters, I'd suggest at least having a week's worth of provisions ready... or evacuating before a disaster hits, if possible.
With the 2017 hurricane season already up and running, let's take a look at three must-have items to survive a natural disaster...
1. Water. Water tops the list because it is most critical to your survivability. The human body can last for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. You should keep at least one gallon of water per person per day in reserve for drinking purposes. If you live in an arid climate, you may want to store up to three gallons of water per person per day.
2. Food. The best foods to buy for storage purposes are staples in your regular diet. Then, you can rotate them into your regular consumption patterns before their expiration dates approach. Canned vegetables, beans, and soup work best for this. You can also store canned meats and fish, like chicken, tuna, and salmon. If you find cans in your stockpile bulging at the ends, the food inside has spoiled. Throw them out. Never eat a can that looks like it's about to burst, no matter how hungry you are.
3. Power. You should have some form of backup power. This may range from heavy AC generators to small DC batteries. It all depends on the amount of power you would use during an extended outage. If you use a generator, remember... Never run a generator inside the house or garage. Run them outside in a well-ventilated area to avoid the lethal fumes.
In my book The Doctor's Protocol Field Manual, I detail even more essentials for preparing for a natural disaster.
I also cover everything you need to survive any crisis, from what to do on a crashing jet-liner to how to ship your assets offshore. Use it as your go-to guide in almost any type of crucial situation.
For current Retirement Millionaire subscribers, you can read an electronic PDF of the book here for free. It might save your life.
If you're not a Retirement Millionaire subscriber, or if you want a physical copy of the book, you can get The Doctor's Protocol Field Manual by clicking here.
Have you been through a hurricane or recent natural disaster? How did you cope? Let us know at [email protected].
[optin_form id="73"]
What We're Reading...
- Hurricane season is here... This is what you should know.
- Something different: Are you in for a harsh winter?
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Retirement Millionaire Daily Research Team
Minneapolis, Minnesota
August 24, 2017