We put our hearts and souls into our homes. We decorate it to the perfect standard, we make sure it’s a comfortable place to lounge, and we fill its rooms with chatter and laughter. And in return our homes give us plenty of shelter against the outside elements, even if you need to do a bit of DIY on the plumbing every now and then!
However, even when you’ve dressed up your home to be a wonderful place to be, there’s no guarantee it’s ready to take on an emergency situation. And that’s where we’re stepping in; if you don’t have an emergency plan all ready to go, keep the points below in mind!
What is Likely to Happen to Your Home?
The first thing to do in preparation for an emergency is work out which ones are likely to happen to you. Do you live somewhere that’s prone to flooding? Maybe you regularly experience stormy weather that can rip the roof off? Or maybe it’s quite warm and dry where you are, and things can crack easily as a result? Take stock of the conditions in your home town and prepare for them specifically.
Get an Emergency Kit Together
Once you know what emergencies you’re likely to go through, you can then put together an emergency kit. This is a case you keep in your house for times when things get dicey outside, and often include emergency food and drink, a first aid kit, flashlight and batteries, multitools, and rain proof clothing. Put one together for your own specific circumstances; what would you likely need to keep close to hand if disaster struck?
Install a Back Up Power Supply
Whenever a storm is brewing on the horizon, you grapple with the fact that your home’s power could be knocked. And that means no internet, no fridge or freezer, and no way to charge your phone. And if you’ve got a relative who lives with you that requires electricity as part of a medical treatment, this is a looming disaster. Which is why you should consider installing a backup supply, such as whole home generators. You can default to these if the grid is knocked out near you, and you won’t have to worry about the knock-on effects of a power cut.
Find the System Valves
Once a disaster does strike, you don’t want to make the situation any worse. As such, it’s best to find out where the ‘shut off’ valves in your home are. Usually they’ll be in the basement, if you have one, in the cupboard under the stairs, or just outside your back door. You should be able to turn off the water supply and electric at the very least, and if you use a furnace in your home, you can close off combustion valves to make your home safer.
Your home can’t be foolproof, but it does need to be emergency ready - keep the above points in mind for such occasions.
