Every once in a while, there is a catastrophic event that leads to waves of death and destruction. Almost inevitably, the only ones who are almost sure to survive these events are those who plan for them. So what do you need to keep in mind for these disasters? Find out below.

1. Storing Water
Water is your #1 priority.
But not just any water, you need clean water… drinking dirty or contaminated fluids isn’t an option you should force yourself to take. With a little forethought, you’ll never find yourself in that situation.
A good start is to identify the exact number of gallons of water you need. Remember that the average person consumes approximately a gallon of water every day. It may be more or less, depending on your activities. Nevertheless, one gallon per person per day a good baseline.
You might not drink that entire gallon of water, but you will need it for other activities like cleaning, cooking, and sanitation. The rule of thumb dictates that a family of 4 (2 kids and 2 adults) needs at least 4 gallons of water to last a day. This number is enough for your drinking and sanitation needs. You will have enough for flushing the toilet and even for taking care of your pets. The next consideration is the number of days you will likely need an extra water supply. An average person can only last up to 3 days without water. Hence, you should start storing 3-day or 72-hour equivalent of water. You can store more if your finances (and space) allow for it. You need to also make sure that you use a clean and proper container for your storage. Never use milk or juice containers for long term storage the risk of contamination is too high. Stick to well-cleaned 2-liter bottles, air/water tight containers that have only ever held water in them, pre-bottled water, or drums made specifically for water storage.

2. Storing Food
Compared to water storage, food storage is far simpler and easier. You don’t have to store as much food as much as you need to stock up on water. In addition, the process of preparation in storing food is not as demanding. The trick is to just buy more of the usual food in your pantry. When you go to the grocery store, get some extra pieces of your favorite canned food. If there are food items on sale, seize the opportunity to stock up. The key to a healthy diet is balance, so when you are working on storing food, be sure to balance these macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Canned soup also has a lot of sodium. You will need to drink more water to counter the effects of too much sodium in the diet. Looking back at storing water, drinking more is not a good thing for your preparedness plan.
When the power grid fails during a disaster, you will be faced with the dilemma of which food to consume first. It’s simple — just start with the perishables or those that have a shorter shelf life, spoil or rot easily and are usually stored in your fridge.
In case the gas lines are cut off, you will also need something to cook with. Having a gas grill for example will help a lot, so it’s important to keep some extra tanks if you can.

3. Having Medical Supplies and Basic Medical Skills
Everyone must have a first aid kit in their supplies. Period. But there’s also one more important factor, and that is the four basic medical skills. Without the following 4 skills, your kit would be useless.
1. Creating an open airway and confirming a heartbeat
2. Treating minor wounds
3. Treating shock
4. Handling broken bones

4. Having Cash on Hand
Having extra funds is just as important as the other items on this list. When everything collapses, you will still need to buy food, water, medicine and even gas for your car.
Make sure you have enough cash on hand to get you and your family through a week, at least. ATMs and even the internet may be down, so you may not be able to depend on credit cards.
If you live near the border, it would be a good idea to have some cash in the currency of your neighboring country. This way you will have money that’s ready to use in case you have to evacuate and cross the border.
On a side note, it may also be wise to store some gold or silver in case the financial system collapses.

5. Being Able to Secure your Home or Family
When supplies run out, people get hungry and become desperate.
In the aftermath, law and order will also go out the window. You may no longer rely on law enforcers to keep the peace or deal with an intruder. Things will definitely go out of control. These conditions only mean one thing: you are left to your own devices.
It will be every man for himself, and in a lawless society, you will need to defend your life and those of your loved ones against intruders who want what you have. You must defend your home, life and property from these bad elements.

So, are you prepared for catastrophe? Having food, water, and reliable shelter on hand is crucial. Being able to defend them is key. And having the ability to heal the wounds suffered in this defense is an absolute necessity. All of these steps

All of these steps work hand in hand and one is not inherently more important than the others. After all, you could have all the food and water in the world, but if you lose them to someone who failed to prepare and decided to take them, then what was it all for. Practice every step on this list, and chances are good that you'll be okay, no matter what life throws at you.

Practice every step on this list, and chances are good that you'll be okay, no matter what life throws at you.

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