The other day, I had lunch with a buddy, and he mentioned that he and his wife are planning an international trip. Before leaving, she wanted to quickly update their estate planning and review other aspects of their financial life as well as their advanced medical directives. While he agreed that a thorough review and update were in order, he wanted a more deliberate approach given the importance of the plans.
I’ve said before that retirement planning and estate planning are the ultimate forms of preparedness. Afterall, you’re preparing for a time when you can no longer work or no longer wish to work. You’re also preparing for a time when you’re no longer around to provide for and care for those you love most. As such, your plans must be finely crafted and address a range of contingencies and variables that are difficult to see. Of course, if we’re living in the end times then our actions are little more than useless gestures and empty precautions. But, on the off chance that we’re not, it’s time to get busy!
The world around us is changing daily, politically, economically, culturally, environmentally and climactically. We’re scrambling to make sense of it all and maintain a sense of normalcy. The fires in Los Angeles have been extinguished and the flood waters have receded from western North Carolina. But the devastation remains. Lives and livelihoods have been lost.
The imperative to be better prepared, better resourced and more resilient has never been greater. We’re all looking forward to the summer and warmer temperatures but, this means that tornado, wildfire and hurricane seasons are around the corner. This also means that there is time to prepare. Disasters aren’t limited to Mother Nature flexing her considerable muscle. Hubris, negligence and greed have created countless disasters since like, forever. To varying degrees, these too can be prepared for and mitigated by timely, careful planning. Deliberate, not dither.
Emergency management officials and response agencies conduct an After-Action Review and Hot Wash to identify areas for improvement in both the planning and response phases of events. Individuals and families should do the same thing. After every hurricane or power outage, I review with my family what worked and what could have been done differently or better. The goal is to enhance safety, security and stability. Comfort follows. This is how we identified that a solar generator alone isn’t enough. When paired with a dual fuel generator, the combination allows for a greater degree of resilience. You can also use the dual fuel generator to charge the solar generator in the event of little to no sunlight. This may seem obvious, but you must have an adequate supply of fuel on hand.
Effective preparedness is built on layers of redundancy. The most critical use of your generator is to cycle your fridge or freezer. The minute you open the door to the fridge or freezer, the thaw starts. In a power outage, the fridge will keep food cold for about 4 hours while the freezer gives you 24 to 48 hours, but you must keep the doors closed. This is where a cooler comes in.
While many of us can afford to miss a meal, what if you don’t have to? A cooler filled with ice allows you to take out only what you need while maintaining the cold in your fridge and freezer. Throw in some bottles of frozen water and you’re not only enhancing the cold in the cooler, but you also have the added benefit of something cold to drink once the ice melts! Freezer packs are must-haves and given that they’re engineered to stay frozen, you’re doing yourself a favor by having as many as you think you’ll need. For that matter, get a second cooler, if your budget and space allow.
Camping stoves, gas and charcoal-fueled grills are all viable options in the event the power is out, and you want a hot meal. They should be on hand and ready. Safety first; never use indoors or in a poorly ventilated area! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are fine but at some point you’ll want a hot meal, a hot beverage or both.
It’s worth mentioning that you should stock your pantry with the food that you and your family eat. Going hungry because you don’t like or can’t eat the food in your pantry is not only pointless, it means that you've planned poorly. Stress impacts the human body in a variety of ways both predictable and unpredictable. The combination of stress and a radically different diet cans induce diarrhea or constipation. Diarrhea is never fun, much less so during a major power outage or other disaster.
Use a smaller solar generator to light a single room with a floor lamp on a set schedule. Candles, flashlights, head lamps, lanterns and glow sticks should also be in your kit. You’d most effectively employ these resources sparingly to accomplish a specific task, such as using the bathroom or preparing a meal, not lighting up the room simply to bathe in the light. Bathing in light is therapeutic, but this indulgence should be delayed.
Electronic devices such as tablets, laptops and TVs aren’t essential, and their use should be limited. Depending upon the severity and duration of the power outage, setting a schedule whereby an hour or two of online time and watching a movie as a family would be helpful on many fronts. A fully charged cell phone is essential and should be used to check in with family and friends, or calling for help, not playing games or doom-scrolling. Books, games and favorite toys should be readily accessible in your kit. I’m a bit more advanced, I intend to sit quietly, staring blankly into space and contemplating my navel. I also plan to sleep.
Okay, I think you get where I’m going with this, so this is the part where I encourage you to get after it. I’d be remiss if I didn’t direct you to a few resources to help you speed up the process. Download the Checklists, and read the following posts, How I Got Ready and Getting Started.
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