Tsunami Preparedness: What You Need to Know
Tsunamis are powerful, terrifying and very unexpected. While they are sometimes triggered by landslides or earthquakes, they can also occur when seismic activity happens deep in the ocean.
Ready.Gov describes the tsunami as follows:
Tsunamis, also known as seismic sea waves (mistakenly called “tidal waves”), are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite. Earthquake-induced movement of the ocean floor most often generates tsunamis. If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, the first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued.
Planets Rotation
In 2017, a report by Forbes explored a link between the slowing of the earth’s rotation and increased seismic activity. These findings mention that in the near future, we could see seismic activity. i.e. earthquakes, in several previously unaffected locations.
Think you’re safe because you live in a notorious 'No Earthquake Zone'? Think again. You may need to brush up on your earthquake and tsunami preparedness, even if you live in an area that seldom experiences either.
Preparing for a Tsunami
A Tsunami Disaster Communication plan is critical and should include a quick evacuation plan for every member of your family. Copies of this plan should be kept inside your survival kits alongside important documents like deeds, ID, passports etc., and a list of important phone numbers.
Upon leaving your home and heading to higher ground, you must prepare to be away from your home for at least 72 hours. Our 4 person survival kit offers critical survival supplies and leaves room for you to include customized items to fit your family’s unique emergency needs.
Potential Threat: Poisoned Water
A tsunami will inevitably fill streets with water and may even damage water pipes as the rushing water makes landfall. As a result, this can significantly compromise the condition of local tap water. Survivors may then find themselves in the awful situation of being dehydrated and surrounded by water they can’t drink due to parasite and bacterial contamination.
Having a tool like a LifeStraw water filter on hand can be lifesaving in the aftermath of a tsunami. The LifeStraw is one of the most advanced compact water filters on the market, with technology that filters out pathogens to .02 macrons. Be sure to add one to your prep kit today!
Test Run
Don’t wait for a tsunami warning to give your Tsunami Disaster Communication plan a test run -- after all, practice makes perfect! During an emergency situation, acting quickly can mean life or death.
Making a plan and executing it perfectly can save lives and make the rescue process that much easier for first responders, be sure to practice your disaster communication plan at least twice a year.
3 Predictions For The Season Finale Of The Walking Dead
And so, just like that, we’re once again at the finale of another Walking Dead season. After the skull-crushing cliffhanger from this time last year, what exactly can we expect from this Sunday’s send-off?
With as many loose ends as Negan has enemies, the extended episode should at least tie up a few of those and so, too, a lot of burning questions will be answered: Will Dwight and Daryl ever see eye-to-eye? Who exactly can Rick, and indeed Negan, trust? And, most importantly, will Rick ever snare a darn deer?!
Whilst the comic will inevitably throw up a number of theories as to how the season will close, here are some of the best bets for the storylines that will keep fans on tenterhooks until its return in October:
Friend or Foe? No longer will Dwight kneel. Not for Negan anyway. After uncomfortably kowtowing to the Savior leader for the whole of the season, it seems a tad unfair on the guy that the first request of his new savior, Rick, is for him to ‘get on his knees’. At gunpoint, no less. Having said that, he did launch an arrow through Denise’s eye – albeit accidentally – so fair’s fair. Not that that’s any consolation for Daryl, his intended target. It remains to be seen whether Dwight really has switched allegiances or whether he is some kind of dastardly double-agent, but the finale should go some way to clearing that up.
All Hell breaks loose: It’s safe to say that this finale – as with every preceding edition – will be action-packed, blood-soaked and yet, hopefully, cliffhanger-free. Ever since the mid-season finale, Rick has been on a relentless crusade to recruit numbers for Alexandria’s cause: to dispatch of Negan and his cronies. While that is - let’s be honest - unlikely, we’re still likely to see a fight unlike any that has gone before. With Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom, Oceanside and the Scavengers all heeding the call to ‘rise up’, the Saviors could be about to get a taste of their own medicine. Negan, however, may be more prepared for the impending chaos than any of those groups would like to believe…
Divided loyalties and ‘little birdies’: In the penultimate episode of the season, Negan divulged to Sasha that a ‘little birdie’ had told him that Rick and his gaggle of cohorts were ‘up to no good’. With so many divided loyalties right now – Eugene and Dwight being the prime examples – it is unclear as to who Negan’s snitch is. Or indeed if he is simply bluffing. Could it be one of Alexandria’s allies? A Kingdom know-it-all, perhaps? Possibly a gossiping Gregory? Or maybe, just maybe, a Judas in the form of Jadis, the Scavengers’ leader? One thing’s for sure, as the old adage goes: snitches get stitches
With a six month break between the upcoming finale and Season 8, now is the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone and fill that zombie-shaped hole in your summer.
Fun, but functional, The Walking Dead Survival Kit and ZPAK combo is perfect for Walking Dead fans. Contained within a high quality military style messenger bag, the survival kit could prove to be invaluable in a Zombie apocalypse or, indeed, more generic emergencies, providing 72 hours worth of supplies.
Supplementing the survival kit in this value-for-money combo is the ZPAK or, to give it it’s full name, the Zombie Preparedness Apocalypse Kit. Contained within a ZPAK branded water bottle are the perfect additions to the survival kit. Contents include a custom carabineer, emergency whistle and other essential survival items, while there’s even Walking Dead-inspired ZPAK artwork included to tide you over until Rick and his pals return in the Fall.
5 Emergency Preparedness Tips from Dad
Just in time for Father’s Day, we wanted to honor all those amazing dads out there who prepare their families for emergency situations through sharing the skills and knowledge needed to stay safe. Over the years, our Dad knew when something was on our mind, what to do to make us feel happy when we were sad, but also shared the importance of being prepared. Our dad continuously shared what steps to take in order to prepare for a disaster, so here are a few preparedness tips we’ve learned from the head of our household.
Make a plan with your family before disaster strikes
Always have a plan for your family before an emergency occurs so when one does you know exactly what steps to begin taking. Have a location and connection plan so you’ll know how to reconnect with your loved ones. Dad always said having a point person who lives out of the area to check in with is a good idea because making long distance calls are usually easier to do in a location-based emergency.
Have a Kit and Know What’s In It
It’s not enough to just have a disaster preparedness kit on hand if you have to know its contents or how to use them. The last thing you’re going to want to have to do in an emergency is figure out how to use your equipment properly. Familiarize yourself now and you won’t be sorry later. Take a look at our survival kits here.
Prepare For Pets
Pets are part of the family too and our dad always made sure to prepare for them ahead of time as well. You’ll want to customize a prep kit for them that includes food, leashes, bedding, and anything else you think they will need to evacuate the home.
Prepare an Emergency Contact Card for Each Family Member
Having an emergency contact card that you put in your wallet or purse can be very helpful and potentially lifesaving in any sort of emergency. For small children, a contact bracelet may be a good idea. Make sure the contact card includes all past medical history, allergies, as well as a local and out of town contact. This will make sure rescue workers have all the information they need during or after an emergency situation.
Practice Makes Perfect
Another important tip that our Dad gave us is that practice always helps make a plan go as smoothly as possible. He would suggest to practice any fire, evacuation, or emergency drill at least twice a year. If you know exactly what to do in an emergency you will be able to stay focused and clear, and feel more confident in quick decision making. Remember, less stress always leads to better results.
Stay safe and happy this Father’s Day and check back for more tips soon!
Are You Financially Prepared For An Emergency Situation?
Natural disasters can happen at any given moment. While having necessary supplies in case of an emergency situation is critical for survival, financial preparedness continues to be on the back burner for many people.
We must remember that even though a natural disaster’s focus is safety and survival, the recovery process can be extremely costly. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 serve as examples of just how costly natural disasters can be.
See the Top 5 Most Expensive Natural Disasters in History: http://ow.ly/Mo6u300ORtJ
Putting an extra debit card away in your preparedness kit may not be enough. Check out 3 tips to get you financially prepared for a disaster:
- Start a Separate Savings Account in your Bank
Already have a savings account? Avoid being tempted to spend money from your emergency fund. Make sure to keep your spending, savings, and emergency savings separate so you don’t end up borrowing money from the funds that could help you during a natural disaster.
- Put Cash Away in your Preparedness Kit
Power lines may be down during a natural disaster, or you may not have access to an ATM machine near your home. Put cash cash away in a discreet container, and be careful not to add too many smaller bills for the sake of space.
- Add a Pre-paid Debit Card to your Preparedness Kit
A great way to add diversity into your emergency fund is by adding a pre-paid debit card to your preparedness kit. This can be helpful in the event that a natural disaster results in banks to take security measures that may freeze accounts.
Get financially prepared and stay safe! We can help: FirstMyFamily.com
National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2016
National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 15 through May 21, 2016. History has taught us that it is not enough to be aware of the many natural disasters that may threaten our families, we must prepare accordingly. With often speeds of over 160 miles an hour and more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain a day, hurricanes are definitely among the deadliest of natural disasters. Is your family prepared for a potential hurricane threat? Even if you live nowhere near a hurricane zone, you never know what the future holds, which is precisely why preparedness is so important.
Peace of mind. Is that possible during or after a natural disaster? It may not be, but being prepared with a plan that includes specific steps for family members to take can definitely help provide direction during a time of uncertainty.
Download a family emergency plan today at: http://bitly.com/FamEmergencyPlan
A proper, functional preparedness kit could be the difference between life and death during a natural disaster. Injuries, lack of food, and of course weather are all situations that need to be anticipated, and therefore supplied in every preparedness kit. In the event that help is on the way to you and your family, tools for prolonged survival and are key.
Download a supply checklist today at: http://bit.ly/PrepSupplyChecklist
Whether you’re a preparedness pro or a curious beginner, we’re here to help throughout your entire preparedness journey. Begin building your family's emergency preparedness kit today: FirstMyFamily.com
Things We’re Thankful For This Thanksgiving
The holidays are a time to be together with loved ones, but Thanksgiving especially, is a time for reflection. We at First My Family understand how important family is, here are three things we are most thankful for on this very special holiday.
Health
The health of family members can sometimes be under appreciated, especially if a family is blessed to be in good health. But, however healthy a family may be, we must always appreciate good health and do our best to maintain each family member’s well-being.
Home
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there were 578,424 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States in January 2014. That fact alone is enough to put in perspective the state of homelessness in our country today and emphasizes how grateful we are to have a home during the holidays.
Knowledge
We are proud to have over 30 years of combined Emergency and Disaster Preparedness knowledge. This important knowledge has made it possible for us to keep our family prepared for any emergency, and we are very appreciative that we are able to share our expertise to other families through the creation of First My Family.
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!