by Gordon Sumner

Created on: February 21, 2009

The adage that "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" is often known as Murphy's Law. Murphy's Law as we know it today has only been around for about 60 years, but to most wise observers the notion that we live in a world where the worst can and often does happen is simply common sense.

If you pick up the paper on a given day, you can read about disasters of the worst kind occurring all around the world: Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, flooding, freezing, economic uncertainty, scarcity, poverty, famine, and basically any kind of natural or man-made disaster you can think of are chronicled in the news on a daily basis.

To combat the helpless feeling that comes with even the thought of a disaster, many people have embraced the idea of being prepared for any type of disaster or emergency. For those who are looking for a way to plan for the worst just in case it does actually happen, emergency preparedness provides that plan. Emergency preparedness provides peace of mind in a world that is full of uncertainty and inherent danger.

The problem most people have is that preparing for an emergency can be an overwhelming and daunting task. It is difficult to know where to start when planning for an emergency. While there is no exact laundry list of items, there are certain basic areas in which most emergency preparedness experts agree it is wise to plan ahead. The areas are personal finances, a home storage of food, medicine, and clothing, and a basic 72-hour kit for every family member.

Personal Finances: "Save for a rainy day" The idea is to put away 3-6 months worth of living expenses in case of a loss of employment or other interruption of income. This rainy day fund should be liquid and easily accessible so that it can be used on a moment's notice.

Home Storage: "A One Year Supply" Emergency preparedness experts encourage individuals to store at least a one year's supply of food in the form of basic staples such as grains, legumes, flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil, etc. Once the year's supply of basic food is achieved, it is a good idea to supplement the staples with day-to-day foods that you eat on a regular basis. The idea here is that you should have food on hand that you will actually eat to make the year's supply more palatable. A year's supply of basic medicines and clothing is also recommended. Anyone who has ever needed medicine when and not been able to get it can attest to the helpless feeling that comes in this situation.

72 Hour Kits: "Plan for the worst" 72-Hour kits are designed to help families through the initial stages of a disaster. These kits often include such items as emergency blankets, food and water for 3 days, and first aid and hygiene kits. Family members are also counseled to have a family emergency plan which could include pre-determined gathering spots, and ways to communicate in an emergency.

While there it is next to impossible to plan for every possible disaster that might occur in one's lifetime, having prepared in these basic areas provide tremendous peace of mind to be able to handle any sort of challenge that might come along.

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