Why Should I Prepare for an Emergency That Might Not Happen?

There are many people out there telling us we need to prepare for an emergency.

4Patriots is among them. In fact, we’ve been doing this for well over 10 years now. But there are plenty of others. Including the U.S. government and disaster relief organizations.

The message being preached is that it’s essential to have survival food and a clean drinking water supply ready. Just in case you need to hunker down in a crisis.

As well as a fully stocked bug-out bag and an evacuation plan. In case you need to get out of Dodge in a hurry.

Is it really that important?

What sometimes gets overlooked in all the suggestions regarding which items to stockpile is the “why.”

Why is it important to prepare for a disaster that might never come? Why is it essential to go through the preparation process when there seems to be no serious imminent threat?

Why should you spend valuable time and money on items that might sit in containers or a bug-out bag for months or years before you need them?

If you’re relatively new to the topic of preparedness, you might have some of these “why” questions yourself. So, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why it’s crucial to get ready for a potential emergency.

Extreme weather on the rise

One reason to prepare for an uncertain future is that extreme weather events are increasing.

It’s almost impossible to go an entire day without reading or hearing about one storm or another affecting the country.

And not only are extreme weather events increasing in number. They’re growing in intensity.

Such as hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards. Plus flooding, heat waves and cold spells. They’re becoming too much for our infrastructure. That’s why we experience so many power outages.

A multitude of threats

Another reason to prepare is the wide variety of additional threats out there. I’m talking about earthquakes and wildfires.

As well as physical and cyber attacks on our vulnerable electrical grid. Hundreds of them occur every day.

We also live in an age when unstable governments have attained nuclear capabilities. Or are closing in on doing so.

North Korea and Iran, for example, pose an ongoing threat to our way of life. The U.S. is doing its best to keep them in check. But we know attacking the U.S. is a major goal of theirs.

FEMA falls short

Yet another reason for preparedness is that we can’t rely on being rescued. Just ask the folks in New Orleans who went through Hurricane Katrina.

Or people in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico who got pummeled by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Or California homeowners forced to evacuate due to wildfires.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is broke and broken. There have been too many disasters in too short of a time period. Even their officials are admitting they can’t handle the burden.

They don’t hesitate anymore to say it’s up to individual Americans to protect themselves by preparing. 

Rescue isn’t guaranteed

Another reason we need to exercise self-sufficiency by getting ready for an emergency is that other disaster rescue organizations can’t be everywhere at once.

Most of them do great work. Their selfless volunteers and full time employees often risk their lives to help people in danger. But they have limited numbers of people and limited resources.

And even when disaster relief teams are fully equipped and available, they can’t always physically get to the people who need them.

Extreme weather often results in flooding. As well as fallen trees and utility poles. And those problems cause road closures that keep help at a distance.

Store shelves empty

Still another reason why it would behoove you to prepare for a crisis is that stores might not have everything you need when you need it.

If today is a typical day in your neighborhood, you could probably go to the grocery store and get what you require for the next week or so.

But if a disaster strikes – or even if one is on the way – store shelves will empty quickly. People have stood in long lines waiting to purchase staples such as milk, eggs and water, only to be turned away at the door because the store has run out of goods.

Sometimes an emergency situation will disrupt the food supply chain. Which means stores run out of their current stock and can’t replenish it.

The great indoors

I’m on a roll here, so I’m going to keep going. Another reason to prepare is that, in most cases, you can hunker down with your supplies.

That’s usually a lot safer than trying to venture out and get supplies that may or may not be available.

When extreme weather is happening, the last place you should be is outside in the middle of it.

If you’re prepared with survival food and other essentials, you can stay protected in your home until it’s safe to go outside again.

Peace of mind

This reason for why you should prepare for an emergency is one of my favorites. It’s what has gotten me through crises and what will help me get through more.

It’s peace of mind. Being prepared for a disaster means you never have to worry about one occurring. You know you can handle it because you have the supplies you need.

And during the crisis itself, while others are panicking and wondering where they’re going to get the help they need, you can rest easy, knowing you’ve got this.

Almost everything you need in life has a price tag on it. But you can’t put a price on peace of mind. It’s something that money just can’t buy.

Help yourself help others

Finally, being prepared means you have the opportunity to help others.

Family comes first. So if you have family in the area who can make it to your home when an emergency happens, you can take care of them if you’re prepared.

There may also be an elderly or disabled neighbor you can assist with food, water and other important items. 

No matter who it is, they will be grateful to you. And hopefully they’ll learn from the experience and make sure they are prepared for the next crisis.

I hope I’ve convinced you to make preparedness a priority in your life. If so, your next step is to do it. Don’t delay. None of us knows how soon we’ll need to shift into survival mode.