“The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.”

Tacitus Roman Empire Senator

When disaster strikes, it creates a threat to you and your family’s safety and security in more ways than one. Your personal safety is jeopardized by the lack of power, water or shelter and potentially by damage to things like gas valves or electrical systems. However, it may also be threatened by the way people act after the disaster.

It is unfortunate, but disasters often bring out the worst in people because they see it as an opportunity to loot damaged homes. Looters prey on whoever they believe is vulnerable.

Damaged homes or property are like personal invitations to looters who are looking for an easy way to rob property owners of their possessions. In this section, we review steps you can take to secure your home before and during a crisis and some self-defense methods should you have to confront looters or those who are acting irrationally due to fear and stress.