In the last few months, New Jersey has seen earthquakes, hurricanes, flash blizzards, and what seems like everything in between. At a time when constant weather redefines "instability," we have no choice but to consider the possibility of chronic disaster.

In my former career at Barnes and Noble, I was researching books at a time when a high percentage wrote about Y2K survival. We ended up with tons of books for sale on what to do without technology, as had been predicted for the year 2000. No clocks, no computers, no electrical grids: before the new year, the possibility induced mass hysteria.

Nevertheless, with everything that's been happening recently, I've started asking myself the same questions: Are we really prepared?

After the blizzard, a huge percentage of the tri-state area was out of power for longer than anyone expected. Are we prepared to be out of electricity for seven to ten days? Do we have a workable fireplace? Do we have candles? Flashlights and lanterns? A Coleman stove? Water?

After the blizzard, we heard about a woman without electricity who had tried to make her own heat and ended with a home covered in ash. Most suburban families only think about survival on the odd camping trip or when tuning into Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Survival is a theme in American pop culture, but it's not something we think about in our daily lives until disaster strikes.

We see disaster scares in every generation, from Y2K to the end of the Mayan Calendar in 2012. In every scare, some believe, some scoff, and some just wait and see. In truth, the "Newest Threat of the Hour" matters much less than the natural disasters we face without warning. We anticipated Y2K, and we took precautions against any potential danger. We need to anticipate the disasters that we don't expect.

Both my sons are in the Boy and Cub Scouts, so we've all been exposed to basic levels of wilderness survival. In uncertain times, the Boy Scout motto becomes even more prudent: Always Be Prepared.

Before Hurricane Irene, we posted a Hurricane Preparedness Guide, which included a basic supply list for personal preparation. In light of recent power loss, we need to consider preparations in our daily lives, not just in light of predicted disasters.

Click here for another example of a 72-hour Survival Guide and start thinking of the ways you can prepare yourself and your family before disaster strikes.