Many Americans rely on their neighbors after a disaster, but there are also many ways you can help your neighbors before a hurricane approaches. Learn about all the different actions you and your neighbors can take to prepare and recover from the hazards associated with hurricanes. Start the conversation now with these Neighbor Helping Neighbor strategies but remember you may need to adjust your preparedness plans based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.
I had enough `surplus' preps, that I was able to loan a camp stove to one of my neighbors, several bags of heat-and-eat foods (spam, tuna, Ramen noodles, canned ravioli, etc.) to some in the neighborhood whose food supplies were running low, and a gratefully received 10-lb block of ice and some still frozen food went to a friend down the block.
The MH park manager is trying to get a gas generator to let them run the well pump for 2 hours a day, and with this heat and humidity, they need it badly. Hopefully they can score enough fuel to keep it running for a week or longer.
I've managed to reach all but one of my close friends and relatives who were impacted. All are safe, but many are without electricity. There is going to be a long, hot, and tedious few weeks ahead, but Floridians have been through this many times before.
By the luck of the draw I haven't needed many of the preps I had on hand, but having them has allowed me to share with a half dozen neighbors who weren't nearly as fortunate.
In 2008 I began promoting the idea of having Flu Buddies – one or more persons you establish a mutual-aid agreement with - if either of you get incapacitated by the flu (particularly during a pandemic).
It is an idea that has value far beyond just flu, however.
Nearly 1 person in 10 in the United States lives alone. That’s roughly 27 million adults.
Add to that the number of households with one adult caring for one or more minor children or caring for elderly, disabled, or otherwise unable to fend-for-themselves individuals, and the number goes up dramatically.
So for people who live alone, or who are the sole responsible adult in a household, it makes sense to establish `safety net’ of friends, relatives, or neighbors by arranging to have (and to be) a `Disaster Buddy'.
A`Disaster Buddy’ is simply someone you can call on if you are impacted by a local disaster, who can help you prepare, help you evacuate if necessary, and help you put the pieces back together during the recovery phase.
Obviously, as a `buddy', this would be reciprocal; you would do the same for them.
This concept isn’t new of course. This is what friends, neighbors, and families have done for each other for thousands of years. But in recent years, with our increasingly mobile and transient society, many people find themselves isolated, alone, and without a built-in safety net.
I consider having `and being' a disaster buddy the #1 preparedness step you can take, and highly recommend you talk with your friends, neighbors, and family members on how you will support each other during the next natural disaster.
