Unlike forest fires or floods, dealing with a drought is far trickier. It’s difficult to predict how long a drought could last. It could mean a long absence of rainfall resulting in water shortage. The most important factor when it comes to surviving a drought is access to water.
Storing large amounts of water requires a lot of space. Some preppers build storage tanks, etc. to store water. While this is good, it is a short-term plan. If you store water for 3 months, what do you do if the drought lasts 8 months or even a year?
The best way to get through the draught is to conserve as much water as you can and reuse the water that you have as much as possible.
Below you’ll find some tips to conserve water.
- It’s of utmost importance that you save as much water as you can so that you’ll have sufficient drinking water. This is why being prepared in advance is so important. While draughts can last a while, the more water you have, the better your situation will be.
- Avoid frequent showers and baths during a draught. Use a wet towel to wipe yourself down. You can shower once every 2 or 3 days.
- Place a bucket near you while showering. The water that splashes into the pail can be used to wash your clothes, flush the toilet, etc.
- Check your home for leaks and fix any dripping taps.
- If you have a swimming pool, keep it covered to prevent evaporation. The water in the pool can be purified and used for drinking.
- Water that is used to wash your vegetables for cooking can be saved and used to water your plants.
- Depending on the severity of the drought, you may need to stop using water for all activities except the absolute necessities. Watering the plants, washing the car, etc. are all unnecessary. You need water to cook, drink and wash.
- It would be a good idea to place some buckets outside or on the roof. Should there suddenly be some light rain, you’ll be able to catch some water.
- Measure and track your water use daily. In most cases, you’ll be able to find ways to conserve water.
- Depending on how much money you have, you could always leave the area and move to a place that’s not affected by the draught. Having the financial means can make life a lot easier.
Every prepper should do his or her best to earn and save as much as possible. During a hurricane, you could fly off to another state. During a draught, you could stay in another country. With sufficient funds, anything is possible.
Other points to note:
- Ventilate your house well. People with allergies should wear face masks. During a draught, the incidences of allergies, breathing problems, etc. rises.
- Use hand sanitizers to keep your hands and common areas clean.
- During a draught, the quality of water in lakes, rivers, etc. becomes questionable. As a result, the seafood caught in these places may not be the best food choices for you. Avoid eating them.
- Always store water purification tablets, water filtration devices such as the LifeStraw, etc. in your house. During a draught, if you can find a lake or a well with some water in it, you could still consume the water with the filtration devices.
As with all weather catastrophes, the best you can do is stay prepared. These situations can be unpredictable and depressing. Keep your spirits up and with common sense, you’ll get through them.