How prepared are Americans?

The major finding of the survey, conducted by Kelton Research, showed that 85% of Americans do not feel prepared for a catastrophe. They were asked questions about why they feel they need to prepare, what catastrophes they might face, how to best prepare and what they would do if they thought the world was going to end.

One of the interesting findings from the survey was that the majority of Americans believe that a major catastrophe will occur within in the next 20 years. When asked how prepared they feel compared to their neighbors, half (53%) said they were “about as prepared” as those around them. Nearly ¼ (23%) said they were “more prepared” and another ¼ (24%) said they were “less prepared” than the rest of the country.

Nearly 40% of people say they would only last two weeks based on their current supplies.The majority of Americans (49%) said they would need 15 - 60 minutes to prepare if they were required to leave their home. Only 8% said they would be ready to leave their home with all the things they needed in order to survive in “less than a minute.”

Reasons to Prepare

The majority of Americans feel that a significant natural disaster will occur within the next 25 years. 64% said they believed a significant earthquake would hit. 63% said a significant hurricane and 29% said that a pandemic, such as a super-virus would occur. Nearly 3 out of every 4 people (71%) believe that disaster in our lifetime will be an act of God, not man. With that being said, 55% of Americans believe that a terrorist attack could occur within the next 25 years. 51% believe that a financial collapse could occur while 14% fear a nuclear fallout.

When asked what were the major reasons that they were not prepared for a potential catastrophe, 40% of Americans said they “couldn’t afford to buy or stock up on certain supplies.” More than ¼ (27%) said they didn’t know what they should be doing in order to prepare. About ¼ of respondents (24%) said they didn’t need to prepare because they “didn’t think any catastrophes will happen.”

FEMA recommends that each family member in the home should prepare to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours when a disaster strikes. 1 Depending on the severity, police and fire departments may not be able to reach you immediately. Keep a 72 hour kit in an easily accessible area. This could mean at your work, school or in the car.

Many people wait until it's too late to make a plan for emergency preparedness. There are so many things that can occupy our time and attention that it's hard to look forward to what might be coming ahead. However, if you will prepare now, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have a plan and are working towards accomplishing it.

When creating your plan, make sure that it can be used for the many different worst-case scenarios that can happen. Take a look at the different types of disasters that are likely to happen in your area and make sure you have a deep multi-scenario plan for each.Some people fall into the trap where they think that they are prepared, but it's been so long since they have checked in on that plan that they really don't remember it, or circumstances have changed that make it important to change your plan. For instance, you may have some food stored up, but have you checked the expiration dates lately?

Space can be limited, and so it's easy to not think about getting your Grab-n-go supplies ready. The average 72-hour-kit only takes up a little space and is well worth it. You are more likely to run into a situation that needs a 72-hr-kit for a short term emergency than just about anything else. So you have food and water, but do you have everything you would need to survive in case the local stores are all closed and you need a shelter in place? There are many things we use each day that we might take for granted such as tooth paste, or deodorant.

Some people think that plumbers should be paid more than doctors because they prevent disease. Having a good sanitation kit can help prevent illness and disease for your family during an emergency. Don't buy into the idea that there will always be a bathroom for you to use. One of the first things you might need to gain access to during the case of an earthquake, hurricane, fire, or other disaster is a first-aid kit. Make sure you have enough first-aid supplies to take care of everyone in your family and enough to care for others who may need your help.

It is so important that you have a way to keep connected with what is going on around you during an emergency. You can get a dynamo powered light and radio that can help you stay informed, while also giving you needed light and power.