Survivalist and “prepper” culture has gained a lot of momentum in the last decade. The survivalist culture shows a noticeable spike in interest over the past five years, according to Newsweek. While we aren’t as pessimistic as some when it comes to the future, it’s always important to be ready for natural disasters. With that in mind, we’re excited to share a few of our favorite disaster preparedness resources.
1. American Red Cross
The Red Cross is one the foremost disaster relief agency for a reason; they’ve got the resources and experience to better serve disaster victims than anyone else. The American Red Cross website provides the public with countless links regarding all types of disaster preparation. It also includes information on finding assistance after a disaster. The Red Cross also provides first-aid, CPR, and EMT training, which are all essential skill-sets for any budding survivalist or prepper.
2. Ready.gov
Ready.gov provides essential information for how to respond to disasters, ranging all the way from floods to nuclear explosions. This government website also details how to design an emergency plan, a survival kit, and information on caring for children, the elderly, and pets in the event of a disaster. They recommend finding out what kind of disasters most commonly affect your hometown and printing out the relevant information from Ready.gov, prior to an event occuring.
3. National Weather Service
While it’s important to hone your actual survival skills, it’s just as important to stay advised about current weather conditions. The National Weather Service’s website is the best disaster preparedness resource for this information. Their Climate Prediction Center is always accurate and up-to-date; it can also keep you abreast of any warnings or alerts in your area. The Education portion of their site also has helpful information about different types of natural disasters, and how to prepare for them.
4. Bushcraft USA
Fortunately, most natural disasters are over relatively quickly. But what about survival situations that require a “back to basics” variety of knowledge? That’s where bushcraft comes in. “Bushcraft” has become a hot new buzzword among survivalists. Essentially, bushcraft is about making the most out of just a few tools: usually a knife, axe, and ropes or cords. Bushcraft focuses on constructing shelters, creating traps for animals, and other important survival skills. Bushcraft USA is a helpful forum with plenty of tutorials and advice from experienced survivalists.
5. WebMD
Natural disasters often overwhelm police, ambulance, and other first responders. In the event of a disaster, it’s important to have some basic first-aid knowledge. While WebMD isn’t a survivalist website, per se, it does contain the information you may need to survive. It is difficult to predict exactly what medical information you’ll need, but if you still have an internet signal, WebMD is an outstanding resource for diagnosing illnesses and injuries.
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Don’t Delay, Start Preparing Today
There are countless survival websites on the internet today, but we wanted to pick sites with a wide range of information, ranging from weather information to physical skills like building a shelter. These five disaster preparedness websites are valuable tools for you and your family. It doesn’t take much to get a basic survival kit or “bug-out bag” started; start preparing now and you’ll be able to weather any storm.
