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10 Things you shouldn’t do in a disaster scenario

By Divina Ramirez // Feb 09, 2022

TAGS: chaos, disaster, disaster preparedness, off grid, panic, preparedness, prepper, prepping, SHTF, survival, Survival Tips, survivalist

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Mistakes happen to the best of preppers. You might neglect to rotate your food supply, carelessly store all your gear in one place or put all your efforts into preparing just one bug-out plan.

Such mistakes should serve as lessons for preppers, and they often do. But in the context of a disaster scenario, a seemingly harmless mistake could cost you your life.

Nobody can predict what will happen when disaster strikes. The best thing you can do to avoid potentially life-threatening mistakes is to educate yourself about the deadliest mistakes you could make when disaster strikes. That way, you'd know exactly what not to do if you find yourself in a disaster scenario.

On that note, here are 10 things you should never do in a disaster scenario: (h/t to ModernSurvivalOnline.com)

1. Panic – The worst thing you can do during a disaster is panic. People panic when their body's ingrained fight or flight instinct is activated in response to an imminent threat. In a disaster scenario, it's important to keep calm so that you can think clearly. Take the time to stop, breathe deeply and assess your situation.
2. Act rashly – Disasters don't stop for anyone, so you have to act quickly and decisively when faced with a disaster. However, acting decisively is not the same as acting rashly, which most people are prone to do. Wait until you have enough information before deciding on your next course of action. Even in the face of the most time-sensitive emergencies, time spent thinking clearly is never wasted.
3. Fail to plan – Knowing how to improvise is a great skill to have. But it's best put to use after you have exhausted your supplies and carried out your initial emergency response plans. Even rudimentary preparation will give you a big advantage over someone who did not prepare anything at all.
4. Not prepare a bugout bag (BOB) – You'll never know what will happen in the aftermath of a disaster or SHTF event. Will you be able to buy essentials like food and water? Will money get you anywhere? This is why you should have a BOB ready to go in case of an emergency. Ideally, your BOB should contain enough supplies and gear to see you through a few days or weeks. (Related: Bug out survival planning: Prepping a bug-out bag in less than an hour.)
5. Neglect to learn basic survival skills – Prepper devices and electronic gadgets are handy to have, but they can never take the place of basic survival skills like navigating and fire-starting.
6. Try to be the hero – Disasters don't play out like they do in movies. They are almost always ugly, so even if you want to help others in need, know that you will only be putting yourself in harm's way by trying to help every single person in need. In a disaster scenario, you should prioritize avoiding becoming a casualty yourself. Leave the rescuing to trained emergency responders.
7. Ignore disaster response and safety procedures – There's no predicting how long a hurricane will last or how strong an earthquake will be. However, it would be a waste of time and resources to bug out whenever something happens. When disaster strikes, you should always follow the appropriate disaster response and safety procedures first.
8. Be too trusting – Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people. Some people would want to help others in need, while others would want to take advantage of those with resources. As mentioned earlier, you can't help every single person in need. Keep a tight rein on your emotions and don't underestimate some people's capacity for malice.
9. Be ignorant – In the face of a disaster, ignorance is not bliss. It is a vulnerability. What you don't know can and will hurt you. If you choose to remain ignorant of the effects and hazards created by disasters, then you're essentially choosing to be vulnerable. Educate yourself about disaster preparedness, BOBs and basic survival skills.
10. Be complacent – Disasters can take a turn for the worst, so you should keep your wits about you in the face of a disaster. Don't relax your guard and take things for granted. Being overconfident in your abilities, supplies or gear can make you vulnerable to potentially life-ending mistakes.

In the context of a disaster scenario, a simple mistake can mean the difference between life and death. Avoid making the mistakes listed above when disaster strikes.

Watch "Man Made Survival" on  Brighteon.TV  to know more about prepping for disasters.

This video is from Man Made Survival Show.

Preparedness.news has more articles with tips on what to do during a disaster scenario.

Sources include:

ModernSurvivalOnline.com

VeryWellMind.com

chaos disaster disaster preparedness off grid panic preparedness prepper prepping SHTF survival Survival Tips survivalist

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