Natural Disaster Preparation

Rick Worthington

With wildfires burning in the West, Hurricane season in the East, Flooding and Tornadoes across the the Midwest...Natural Disaster preparation is extremely important for farmers and ranchers.

Sean Voskuhl with the AARP says preparing for natural disasters during the Coronavirus pandemic adds an extra challenge.

“Preparing the farm or ranch for a natural disaster is an ongoing activity. But, in 2020, it’s important to further address farm worker safety, along with the safety of your family and farm, or livestock. The Red Cross recommends enough supplies for seven days per person, including water, masks, hand sanitizer and medications. It’s also important to talk about your natural disaster plan regularly with everyone involved on the farm, so there are no surprises when natural disasters strike, and have a communication plan in place when they do.”

And Voskuhl says it’s important to figure out what emergencies you should be prepared for.

“It’s important to know what disasters may impact your farm or ranch, and how they will do so. Certain disasters are naturally more common in specific geographies across the United States. Are you concerned with flooding, severe storms, wildfires, or hurricanes? Know what types of natural disasters are more likely to impact you, so you can efficiency develop your plan.”

Learn more natural disaster preparation tips at aarp.org.