Green Daily

Whether you believe it's due to global warming or not, natural disasters are on the rise. The Sierra Clubs shares the scary news they've gone from around 200 a year between 1987-97, to double that between 2000-2006.

While you can't control a natural disaster, there are steps you can take to be better prepared to survive one. The Sierra Club, in partnership with Plan!tNow, produced a PSA starring Academy-award winner Morgan Freeman, to raise preparedness-awareness, and remind people that the conservation of wetlands is "their first line of defense - the environment that serves as a buffer against storm winds and as a sponge to soak up storm waters."

So what can you do? The Plan!t Now site has a list that includes things like:

• Know your history - what kind of disasters and storms have struck in the past?
• Have 3-5 days of food and water on hand - you may need to be self-sufficient for several days before help arrives
• Develop a family plan - where will you meet, how will you communicate
• Maintain appropriate insurance - most home-owner and renter's policies do not cover flooding

For more steps you can take, as well as other disaster preparedness information, check out the Plan!t Now and FEMA websites.

Like so many unpleasant things, none of us wants to think about the next natural disaster, but with a little planning you can keep it from become a personal disaster. That's worth a little mental discomfort, right?