It's Never to Late to Be Prepared!!

Every year I do one of my "Be Prepared" posts! I cannot say it enough. Every year around this time, I make sure we stock up on emergency supplies like batteries, flashlights and candles.

I keep my pantry stocked with canned food, freeze dried foods and other non-perishable items. We also make sure to have water on hand as well.

We got into the habit of being prepared from our time in Florida. When I fist moved to Miami, I lived through Hurricane Andrew. It was then that we both decided to always be prepared for any emergency.

When we moved further north to Palm Beach County, we lived through 2 back to back hurricanes. We were always ready. We would never wait until the last minute, we always went out and bought supplies before hurricane season began.

Now that we live in the mountains where it snows, we had to switch up our plan a little but we still need to prepare. Last year we got stuck in our house for 3 days before we could get out onto the roads. Since we live in the mountains, the snow plows don't always get to the more rural areas.

Our emergency preparedness plan not only includes having food and water on hand for at least a week but other things we never had to worry about in Florida. First and foremost, we have lots of wood on hand. If the power goes out, you want to be sure you have a heat source.

We keep lots of wood outside. Inside, we have our blankets ready. We also have our flashlights and extra batteries. We have a battery operated radio. We also make sure to charge our laptops and phones before a storm comes. We have a handy portable charger as well.

We always make sure both cars are filled with gas. We make sure to have plenty of salt and a shovel to clean the driveway. It is also important to keep an emergency preparedness kit in your car as well.

Now, you are probably thinking if you need to have an emergency plan as well. The answer is yes. Let me tell you after living through natural disasters without electricity or water for a few days, I am glad we were smart enough to have the supplies needed to make it through a few days. I have also learned that in any emergency, you can't count on getting help right away. Sometimes even the government does not have the resources to help everyone. So emergency preparedness and food storage are things everyone should take seriously.

Take it from me, you need to have a plan. It is never too late to start planning. For more information on what to do during an emergency and what supplies you will need, go to the Department of Homeland Security's site. They have a treasure trove of information.

Be safe!