Protect Your Family | The Practical Home Preparedness Guide

Why This Book Exists

Six Systems. Six Threats.
One Practical Plan.

Each card below pairs a documented real-world attack (marked in red on the left) with the specific household preparation that addresses it (marked in gold on the right).

The Threat

May 2021 — Colonial Pipeline

East Coast Gas Stations Run Dry

A single stolen password shut down the pipeline supplying 45% of East Coast fuel. Stations emptied in days. Families filled plastic bags with gasoline.

Your Preparation

Power & Heat Management

Portable power stations, rechargeable lighting, and passive cooling and heating techniques that require no electricity and no fuel.

The Threat

February 2021 — Oldsmar, Florida

Water Treatment Plant Attacked

An attacker remotely attempted to increase lye in the water supply to 111 times the safe level. One alert operator stopped it. 15,000 people nearly poisoned.

Your Preparation

Water Security

Gravity-fed home filtration, a stored water reserve, and conservation techniques that stretch every drop across days of disruption.

The Threat

October 2016 — Dyn DNS Attack

East Coast Internet Goes Dark

Three college students used a botnet of home devices to take down Twitter, Netflix, CNN, and thousands of sites for most of a day.

Your Preparation

Communications Backup

A hand-crank NOAA emergency radio and a written family communication plan that works when every digital channel is offline.

The Threat

2012 — Operation Ababil

46 US Banks Targeted Simultaneously

Iranian state actors disrupted online banking for millions of customers at JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and dozens of other institutions.

Your Preparation

Financial Resilience

A one-week cash reserve in small bills, financial documentation, and a clear plan for when every card terminal and ATM is offline.

The Threat

February 2024 — Change Healthcare

Prescription Dispensing Nationwide Disrupted

A single cyberattack disrupted pharmacy systems across the US for weeks. Patients with chronic conditions could not fill life-sustaining prescriptions.

Your Preparation

Health & Medication

A 30-day prescription buffer, insulin storage without refrigeration, and first aid capability when hospital access is limited.

The Threat

2024 — Volt Typhoon

Chinese Hackers Pre-Positioned in US Grid

CISA confirmed Chinese state-sponsored hackers had embedded themselves inside US energy and transportation infrastructure in preparation for a future attack.

Your Preparation

Food, Cooking & Transport

A 7-day food buffer, a portable gas burner, a carpool network, and a 90-day plan that builds complete household readiness for $150 per month.

Recommended Supplies

Everything the Book Recommends

Every product is specifically recommended in the book. Select a category below.

⚡Power & Charging

Power

Portable Power Station (500Wh+)

Jackery, EcoFlow, or Anker. Charges medical devices, phones, and lamps silently indoors. Keep at 80% charge at all times.

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Power

USB Power Bank (20,000mAh+)

Keep two charged at all times. Phones, hearing aids, and small devices stay alive when the grid does not.

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Power / Light

Rechargeable LED Lantern

Warm diffuse light for reading and board games. Many models double as phone chargers. Keep two per household.

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💧Water Filtration & Storage

🛒Gravity Water FilterImage coming soon

Water

Gravity-Fed Water Filter (Berkey)

Filters tap water to drinking standards without electricity. Removes bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and chlorine.

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🛒Personal Water FilterImage coming soon

Water

Personal Filter (LifeStraw / Sawyer)

Compact backup filter. Works at point of use. Essential for go-bags and portable preparedness.

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🛒WaterBOBImage coming soon

Water Storage

WaterBOB Bathtub Bladder

Stores 65–100 gallons of clean water inside your bathtub. Fill immediately when a disruption is announced.

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📻Communications

🛒Hand-Crank Emergency RadioImage coming soon

Communications

Hand-Crank NOAA Emergency Radio

Midland ER310 or Kaito KA500. Solar + hand-crank. NOAA broadcasts never depend on internet. Under $60.

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🔥Cooking Without Power

🛒Portable Butane BurnerImage coming soon

Cooking

Portable Butane Gas Burner

$25–$60. No home gas connection required. Safe near an open window. Stock 10–15 canisters.

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🛒Freezer Cold PacksImage coming soon

Food Safety

Freezer Cold Packs (Large)

Keep 6–10 in your freezer. Extend safe freezer temperatures by hours in a power outage.

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🛒Camping CoolerImage coming soon

Food Safety

High-Quality Camping Cooler

With cold packs, keeps perishables safe for 3–5 days. Your refrigerator replacement during extended outages.

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➕Health & Medical

🛒First Aid KitImage coming soon

Medical

Comprehensive First Aid Kit

Bandages, antiseptic, gauze, gloves, thermometer, and OTC medications. Includes a printed first aid manual.

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🛒FRIO Insulin Cooling WalletImage coming soon

Medical

FRIO Insulin Cooling Wallet

Keeps insulin at safe temperatures for 45+ hours using only water activation. No electricity required. ~$20.

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ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Every product listed here is specifically recommended in The Practical Home Preparedness Guide based on genuine household preparedness value.

About the Author

👤Author Photo

Cybersecurity
Industry Veteran
& Amazon Author

Patricia de Hemricourt

Patricia de Hemricourt spent a decade in product marketing roles at cybersecurity companies including Cymulate, Cybersixgill (acquired by Bisight), and Portshift (acquired by Cisco), watching sophisticated threats inch steadily closer to the infrastructure ordinary families depend on every day.

Living in Israel, where readiness for any contingency is a cultural reflex rather than a choice, transformed that professional knowledge into a personal mission. The Practical Home Preparedness Guide bridges the gap between what the industry knows and what families can actually do about it.

She is also the author of several children's books, including the One Day You'll Be… series, and a grandmother of four.

Cymulate Cybersixgill (Bisight) Portshift (Cisco) Based in Israel Amazon Author

Six Systems. Six Threats.One Practical Plan.

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Everything the Book Recommends

Patricia de Hemricourt

New Threats. New Preparations.Free Updates.

Six Systems. Six Threats.
One Practical Plan.

New Threats. New Preparations.
Free Updates.