Duct Tape: One of the All-Time Great Emergency Tools Ever.

You know what they say — it’s not a question of if an emergency will happen, but when. Just take a look back to 2011 and consider some of the natural disasters here in the continental U.S.:

• An earthquake hits the east coast.
• A hurricane spares the coast but causes devastating flash flooding in Vermont.
• Record drought in Texas and parts of the southwest ignite wildfires everywhere.
• Five tornadoes leveling communities in the midwest.
• Two major river floods along the Mississippi.

Mother Nature appears to be Pissed. Off. At. Us. But there’s a lesson in here for all of us: prepare for emergencies and evacuations.

Our Emergency Bin, packed and ready to go.

There’s a task for the Safety First badge that asks girls to “show the way” and help others learn some safety rules like how to cross a street safely or get help in an emergency. Now that’s good information, and it’s age-appropriate for tweens, but for this task I felt the need to really step it up. So I’m sharing my tips for how to prepare a multi-use emergency bin for your home.

Do this for yourselves. Think of it as a different kind of insurance policy, a different kind of peace of mind. Whether a disaster forces you to stay in your home for days or demands immediate evacuation, you’ll be prepared!

BADGE WORK UPDATE: SAFETY FIRST and WEATHER WATCH

If you’d like to read more about the weather extremes we’ve experience, visit the NOAA site here. As for more on emergency preparedness, trust me when I tell you there are plenty of sites out there on the subject, and a lot of them will try to sell you a years’ worth of freeze-dried food, too. But I recommend these basics:

American Red Cross Emergency Preparedness

Ready.gov’s “Are You Ready?” Guide to Emergency Planning

Please let me know if you think something was missing from my own kit! That’s it, kiddos. Just remember: Don’t Be Scared — Be Prepared!