Disaster preparedness is the set of actions and measures an individual, family, household, group or an organization takes in order to prevent and mitigate a disaster or an emergency. Disasters can be classified according to their cause:
The actual steps that need to be taken depend on a lot of factors, such as the actual disaster one is preparing for, climate, geographic location, whether it's an urban, suburban or wilderness setting, number of people involved and many more.
However, it's well-worth pointing out that many disasters can cause other disasters, just like falling domino pieces. For example, hurricanes can bring floods and tornadoes, while an economic collapse could bring with it food shortages, lack of medical and hygiene supplies, which could lead to pandemics.
Depending on the size and severity of the disaster or emergency, one could be dealing with:
A) Personal emergencies (that can affect you, your family members or your household. Examples include a house fire, a burglary and a car crash.
B) Emergencies and disasters that affect your neighborhood (such as a gas pipe exploding in an apartment building or a mass shooting)
C) Emergencies and disasters that can affect cities or regions (lots of examples here: volcanic eruptions, terrorist attacks which result in a state of emergency being declared, landslides, floods, tornadoes).
D) Emergencies and disasters that affect entire nations or even the planet
Regardless of the magnitude, there are things each of us can do on a personal level to protect ourselves and our families. And the first thing is to have a survival plan that starts on paper. Before you consider what gear to buy, you first have to worry about things like:
The next thing you should worry about is getting basic survival equipment. You'll need:
There's one thing that's more important than gear and that's skill. You need to learn a variety of survival skills, starting with the ones that are critical (different ways to start a fire, first aid) and moving on to more complex ones (making shelter out of natural materials, crossing a river, outdoor cooking).
Disaster preparedness isn't something you're done with. Your food stockpile, your tools, your gear and your skills can and should be improved as time goes by.
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| Cite as | Dansullivan (2009–2026). "Disaster preparedness". Appropedia. Retrieved October 3, 2026. |