After seeing the news of all the devastation caused by tornados this week across the Midwest, I took time to think. I asked myself “What events am I prepping for?”

On blogs and message boards across the web we read about the scenarios of economic collapse, plague, EMP, polar shift, super volcanos, race riots, heck – even Zombies! (don’t get me started on the Zombie Apocalypse!) But what about localized disaster? What about Hurricanes? Tornados? Earthquakes? Wildfires? Are you prepped for one of those events? Do you have a plan for those scenarios? WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY & NEIGHBORS?

Which brings me to what I really want to talk about today. How to start the prepping conversation with your friends, family and neighbors.

Many times preppers and survivalists get a bad wrap. A few bad apples spoil the bunch and now, if you have any sort of concern for world changing events, and you talk to anyone about it, in their eyes, you might as well be wearing an aluminum foil cone on your head. But there is a way to warm people up to the idea and get them thinking without seeming like a paranoid lunatic or chicken little. “How?” you may ask. But asking the right questions that get them thinking. Here’s an example of a conversation you could have with your neighbors:

You: “Hey Dan, did you hear about those nasty tornadoes out in the Midwest?”

Friend: “yeah, they sure tore the place up!”

You: “Makes me think what it would be like if something like that hit here. Maybe not a tornado, but maybe an ice storm or an earthquake. Remember when St. Louis had that ice storm a few years back and most of the city lost power for almost 2 weeks? What would we do if the power was out for a couple of days, even weeks?

Friend: “Well, I’ve never thought about that before. But what are the chances?”

You: “I’m not sure, but I don’t want to be thinking about the odds of “what if” when “what if” actually comes. I’d rather have a family that’s warm, healthy and fed. Can you imagine how awful it would be to see you family suffer because you didn’t plan ahead? I can’t imagine it at all.”

Friend: “Maybe you’re right”

You: “Maybe – you know, I think my family and your family should sit down together and talk about how we can prepare for this stuff. There’s safety in numbers and we could really help each other out in a jam.”

Friend: “Sounds good”

See how easy that was? All you have to do is remind a person of a scenario that seems likely in our society and culture – get them to imagine the situation and the risks. It’s not the full blown prepping lifestyle, but it’s a starting point. Once people are planned for a snowstorm, their more likely to be open to some of the more catastrophic national and global events many of us foresee.

So take your time, and use current events to bring those around you to a state of planning and preparedness.

Happy Prepping!