September 9, 2024
How to Use Self Storage to Prepare for Emergencies
Prepare for Emergencies with Self Storage
It’s not always a matter of “if” but “when” the next unexpected event will strike. Therefore, being prepared for an emergency will make or break your experience. How can you be sure you have everything you need? Here are some tips on how to plan for the future.
Know Your Chances
Which part of the country your facility is located in will determine what type of disasters you need to be prepared for. For instance, you wouldn’t prepare for a blizzard in Florida, and you certainly don’t need to worry about hurricanes in Illinois. While there are plenty of universal emergency supplies, certain provisions are better equipped for specific situations, so you can save time and energy by preparing smartly.
Have a Plan
Whether you are the type of person who needs a solid checklist to follow procedures or would practice situations to be prepared, having a plan in place is your best bet. Before an emergency happens, you need to know how to respond. Preparing a step-by-step guide for you and your loved ones will benefit you in plenty of ways, including allowing you to remain calm with a firm plan of action to follow.
Create Backups
There is no way to know how you can best prepare for inclement weather or any other miscellaneous disaster. You want to be overprepared rather than underprepared, so having extras of the important items will give you peace of mind. Make sure you have digital copies of important documents and cherished photos. Use a flash drive or hard drive, or store physical documents in a disaster-proof safe to save them in more than one way.
Keep A Running List
While stockpiling provisions, it can be easy to forget what you have and what you don’t. Keep a detailed list, along with details such as expiration dates and instructions for portable kits and the like. You can get fancy with a spreadsheet, pictures, and other attached resources if you choose. You can also keep records on your smartphone by taking pictures and recording your inventory.
Acquire Nonperishables
We don’t recommend putting food in a storage unit. It can attract pests, and whether it is fresh or spoiled, the smell can create bigger problems down the road. Non perishables are the exception. Nonperishable food products can be stored for a long period without spoiling. Most emergency foods come in the form of powders or freeze-dried, along with canned items that can last for quite a while. Some emergency food can last for years, so make sure you are purchasing the right products. Keep up with expiration dates and rotate your stock as needed.
Amass The Essentials
In an emergency, you need more than food. If your power is out for days in the winter, having extra blankets and winter clothing will keep you warm. If flash flooding leaves you and your family stranded, having waterproof clothing and bags to keep your belongings will make all the difference. Here are some more essentials that you should include in your preparations:
- First-aid kit
- Blankets and towels
- Waterproof coat
- Rain poncho and boots
- Extra clothing
- Flashlights
- Rechargeable portable radio
- Toiletries
- Sleeping bag
- Portable charger for electronics
- Copies and backups of important documents
