Scouts are right: Be prepared! Get ready for an emergency before it happens

A serious First Aid kit.

If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were to have their way, you'd be on your own in a disaster. Oh, they might send you some cans of tuna and Jello mix, but forget about federal aid. Except, or course, for sending in the National Guard to keep the looters away from any gated neighborhoods.

But even with a full budget, neither the Federal Emergency Management Agency'which that deplorable duo of candidates would like to eviscerate or abolish (depending on which version of their spew you believe)'nor the Red Cross or local emergency teams can be of immediate help to everyone when a major disaster strikes. It can be days before official help, or any kind, arrives at your door, or where your door used to be.

Which makes it a good idea to prepare in advance. That means more than queuing up for a few bottles of water, cereal and flashlight batteries a couple of days ahead of tiem when radar detects a megastorm headed your way.

Seven years ago here at Daily Kos, a fellow named AlphaGeek, self-described as "a Silicon Valley technical executive with both professional and personal experience in risk assessment and disaster-readiness planning," put together a five-part series on how to be prepared for both little, short-term disasters and the big, longer-lasting kind.

It is a terrific, deeply comprehensive series, so I'm posting links to all five parts, and a brief excerpt. I haven't tried all the links in the series, and many of them may by now return a "404" message. But with a little Googling or Binging, it shouldn't be difficult for you to find another version of what AlphaGeek originally found. Remember, the longer you wait to prepare after a big disaster hits the news, the more likely it is you will be unprepared when a disaster hits your area. Don't wait to get started.

Are YOU ready for disaster? Part 1 of 5'Assess your risks!

In order to effectively prepare for disaster without becoming overwhelmed, you must be able to make realistic judgments about risks. On one hand, it is an effort for most people to "think the unthinkable", to contemplate scenarios which are far outside the routine of their daily lives. It is difficult for most people to imagine a world where fresh water does not flow from the taps, electricity is something you can't take for granted, and the grocery store shelves are empty ... assuming the stores are even open.

On the other hand, there's a phenomenon I think of as the "armageddon fallacy." This is the temptation, once that our Pandora's Box of fears and concerns has been opened, to imagine extremely unlikely events as real threats. We must be cautious to exercise good judgment when considering risks, as the "armageddon fallacy" is a surprisingly easy trap to fall into. Keep in mind that your plan, at some point, will be shared with friends and family. This incents most people to stay clear of the Crazy Talk Express to Armageddon Town when making a plan. [...]

Your first task in building a disaster-readiness plan is to assess the risks particular to the areas where you spend significant time.  In America's car-centric suburban culture, many people work 20 miles or more from their home.  The risks at work and at home may differ considerably, and should be assessed separately.

Part 2: Plan to Survive (Part A)

Part 3: Plan to Survive (Part B)

Part 4: Emergency Gear and Supplies

Part 5: Conclusion

I'm going to be really obnoxious now and repeat: Don't wait. You cannot be prepared after the fact. What you do now could save your life and that of your loved ones in the near future. At the very least, it could make you all a lot more comfortable in the aftermath of a disaster. With luck, you'll never have to use any of the gear you buy or preparations you make. But better to have them and not need them than not to have them at all.