While a zombie apocalypse may seem a little far-fetched, the Center for Disease Control has taken it very seriously. They have even put together a zombie apocalypse preparation kit. If you take a look at their preparation kit your will find that its contents may benefit you regardless of the type of natural or unnatural disaster you encounter.
The threat of an earthquake, hurricane or tsunami may seem just as improbable as a zombie apocalypse in our area; but we are likely to encounter blizzards, ice storms, hail, tornadoes or flooding. And while you may not think insurance has anything to do with preparedness, risk management is exactly what we are here for. The definition of risk management is the forecasting and evaluation of financial risks together with the identification of procedures to avoid or minimize their impact. So let’s talk about what you can do to minimize the impact of the natural disasters that have a probable likelihood of affecting our area.
The “go bag”-
You can ask the “google”about a go bag and get 21,800,000 results. You can buy them in any size, there are several websites that offer their advice on what to put in a go bag, you can access pictures of what they should look like. In the most modest terms a “go bag” is a bag packed with essential items, kept ready for use in the event of an emergency evacuation of one’s home. But this can vary – from household to household depending upon age, medical condition, members of the family including pets and location. In researching go bags- the NYC Emergency Management website, in my opinion offers the best suggestions for a go bag. The State of Michigan has a Family Preparedness Guide that includes helpful hints for before an emergency happens, when an emergency happens, recovering from an emergency and even tips for Michigan specific hazards.
Home/Vehicle Preparations –
Now that you have your “go bag” packed, consider these suggestions for prepping your car or home during a storm.
Frankenmuth Insurance offers helpful information about 14 things you should keep in your car. I would like to add a 15th item to the list – a bag of kitty litter. Helps with traction if you are stuck and is added weight in the back of the vehicle if needed.
For your home and business Cincinnati Insurance suggests these tips to help you prepare for winter emergencies.
So now your “go bag” is packed and your home and car are well prepared for whatever calamity you encounter……. even zombies.