You can get a real schooling if hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters catch you unprepared! Thats why Im preparing you with my own personal cheat sheet (although the only person youre really cheating is yourself if you dont follow it!). Im Mr. Prepared and I want your Emergency Preparedness grade to be an A , which means you have to do all your disaster homework and be ready to pass any kind of horrible pop quiz that Mother Nature throws at us. So heres a little lesson from the school of preparedness on how to be safe and not sorry.

When disaster strikes (and may I remind you that 2008 is supposed to be an unusually active storm year?), the scary situation you may find yourself in is being cut off from basic services. Im not just talking about cable TV here. Im talking about being unable to buy food from stores, to drink water from your tap or to have electricity or power. Thats a little more serious than not being able to get the Disney Channel!

So how do you survive that kind of post-disaster scenario? If youre already a student of Mr. Prepared, you know the answer - Be Prepared!

At the very least, you should have on hand a 72 hour survival kit. These are available in different configurations, some more extensive than others, and in various sizes, built for one to four people. They contain food, water, first aid supplies, flashlights, a crank radio (hope you have strong arms!) and other very necessary supplies. This hopefully is all you will need when the worst happens.

To get an advanced degree in preparedness, however, youve got to listen to the experts. And most emergency disaster authorities, including the Red Cross, say 72 hours of supplies is not enough to have on hand. You should actually have a two week supply of food and water on hand. And when Im talking water, Im not talking about two cups a day - Im talking two gallons per person per day. Trust me, youll use it!

Now, if you want to be super-prepared for disasters and emergencies, you can purchase the ultimate emergency kit. It actually contains enough food to feed four people for three months. If an emergency goes on longer than that, Id move! Owning one of these super kits is enough to give you a Masters in Preparedness-ology. Just think what if your neighbors arent prepared like you are with the ultimate emergency kit, you might have to help feed some of your neighbors. Now you are theHero in your neighborhood.

So think about your emergency supply situation - what do you have on hand in case a disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane hits? Prep and plan and youll always pass any preparedness test with flying colors. This is Mr. Prepared, bringing awareness to preparedness!