Damaging winds or “straight-line” winds can come with any thunderstorm and they can be as damaging as tornadoes, uprooting trees and knocking out power lines. Straight line winds are hard to prepare for since they can come unexpectedly and can range in strength.

With the summer in full force, so is the heat for most of the country. Heat is the number one weather-related killer and can push our bodies to its limits and put you and your family in danger. Preparing for extreme heat should be done before the summer months arrive, so you aren’t caught off guard when you enter your first heat wave of the summer.

​Hurricanes can be one of the deadliest natural disasters, destroying everything in its wake and sometimes you don’t have enough warning to adequately prepare you and your family. This month kicks off hurricane season and everyone in the danger zone should be prepare ahead of time to take a hit throughout the season.

Over the past years, the prepping movement has really taken off and more and more people are starting to do it, but those that aren’t preppers still don’t understand what exactly people are prepping for.

The questions contained in this article can help you with any preparedness planning scenario you may find yourself in. Think through your answers carefully - your physical and emotional health, peacefulness, and family depend on it.

Prepping for natural disasters, local emergencies, and power outages can be daunting in the beginning, but taking small steps on a weekly basis can help with your peace of mind and is an important piece of your family’s disaster preparedness plan.

As we are in the midst of spring and summer and for some of us we are about to enter hurricane season, flooding is a common occurrence and can in fact happen without warning. Flooding can occur in many places, so everyone should be prepared and have a plan.

Just like packing for vacation, we tend to pack for everything that could possibly happen while we are gone and that usually includes over-packing and forgetting essential items. This goes hand in hand with prepping also. Here are 10 common prepping mistakes to avoid while preparing you and your family:

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms and can appear at the drop of a hat. They appear as rotating funnel clouds and their winds can reach up to 300 miles per hour and can travel for quite some time, damaging everything in their paths. With tornado season upon us, it’s important to know the steps that you and your family should take to be prepared before, during, and after a tornado.

This winter, for most, has been a winter of highs and lows; and we mean that quite literally. The temperature has been all over the place for a majority of the United States and it’s never too late to get yourself and your family prepared for the next wave of cold air.