Disaster Preparedness on a Budget

Californians have long been warned about "the big one," a future earthquake with magnitude 7.0 or higher that may or may not occur in our lifetimes. Recently, new warnings about a possible "superstorm" in California have been frightening some and inducing eyerolls in others.

It's difficult to know how much to worry about disasters that could occur anywhere from tomorrow to 100 years from now. No matter what your state's looming natural disaster is, I think the best anyone can do is to have the basics covered, without spending a ton of money or driving yourself crazy with paranoia.

Here are a few things you should have on hand that won't break the bank--assuming that, post-apocalypse, banks still exist. (Just kidding.)

Disaster Preparedness Kits

Ideally, you should have one disaster preparedness kit in your home and one in your car. These kits range from $10 for a "mini," to $155 for a kit that will sustain ten people for three days. If you're feeling ambitious, you can build your own disaster supply kit. There's a chance, however, that buying everything separately may actually cost you more. Calculate the cost of buying one vs. putting together based on your family size. Most kits include three days worth of supplies per person.

Although it sometimes seems like a good idea to keep as much on hand as humanly possible, that's not necessarily the case. In many circumstances, it would be better to have a kit that you could feasibly carry with you. For this reason, you can probably get away with having a smaller kit in your car than the one you keep in your home. Additionally, buying the 10-person kit when you live alone is a bit overkill. There's probably no need to waste all that money and space.

Food and Water

Experts suggest keeping canned food and distilled water in your house--as well as a small supply in your car--at all times. Geophysics and seismology expert Lucy Jones suggests keeping your supply reasonably-sized, donating it to a food bank once a year, then starting the process over. This guarantees that, should you find yourself in a situation that necessitates breaking into your canned food, you won't find yourself with green beans that expired five years ago. Plus, I'm always a fan of affordable ways to donate to charity, and canned food is one of the cheapest ways to do so.

Having sufficient food and water on hand is not only a good idea for you and your family, it's also the "responsible citizen" thing to do. Post-disaster, if most people have these necessities covered, government and emergency response organizations can focus their efforts on helping those with injuries or other critical needs.

First Aid

Having a first aid kit on hand is, of course, always a good idea. If you plan on buying a disaster preparedness kit, some miniature version of a first aid kit is included. If you're not planning to buy the disaster kit, the Red Cross lists everything you need to make your own first aid kit. However, since you can buy a basic kit starting at around $6, this is probably another case where buying everything separately could easily cost more, since you'd likely have to buy larger amounts than what comes in the kit.

Etc.

Having a fire extinguisher handy is always smart, and often required by law (depending what kind of building, and in which state, we're talking about). If you really want to win the Preparedness Award, keep a hand-cranked radio (as low as $10) and a hand-cranked flashlight (as low as $6.50) on hand.

All that said, it's important to remember not to get too paranoid about disasters, since that's no way to live. Determine what you can spend on preparation, buy the basics, and try not to worry about it too much beyond that.

Are you prepared in case of a natural disaster or emergency?