Create an Emergency Preparedness Kit
Disasters – both natural and man-made – generally take the public by surprise, often leaving little time for gathering necessary supplies before it is necessary to evacuate or to shelter-in-place without electricity. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends keeping an emergency kit at the ready and filled with food, water, and supplies to keep you and your family safer, healthier, and more comfortable during a crisis.
Keep your household’s emergency kit in a designated place and have it ready in case you have to leave your home quickly. Check and update supplies regularly, and make sure all family members know where the kit is kept. During or after a disaster, your emergency kit could mean the difference between a deadly situation and merely a difficult one. Learn more at FEMA’s Ready.gov website.
FEMA recommends an emergency supply kit that includes:
Water
Store 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days for drinking and sanitation. Following a disaster, clean drinking water may not be available. An active adult needs about ¾ gallon of fluid daily. However, children, nursing mothers, and sick people may need more water, and any medical emergency might require additional water.
Food
Keep handy at least a three-day supply per person of nonperishable food. Following a disaster, there may be power outages that could last for several days. Stock canned foods, dry mixes, and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water, or special preparation. When choosing foods to stock up on, remember any special dietary needs within your household. Be sure to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.
First Aid Kit
During any emergency, a family member—or you, yourself— may suffer an injury. Keep these first-aid supplies on hand:
- 2 pairs of latex or other sterile gloves
- Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
- Cleansing agent or soap and antibiotic towelettes
- Antibiotic ointment and burn ointment
- Eye wash solution
- Prescription medications taken every day, such as insulin, heart medicine, and asthma inhalers
- Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
- Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
- Thermometer, scissors, and tweezers
- Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies.
- Stock nonprescription drugs such as aspirin or nonaspirin pain relievers, antidiarrheal medication, antacids, and laxatives.
Tools, Communications, & Documents
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather
- Radio with tone alert, plus extra batteries for both
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air, plastic sheeting, and duct tape to seal off a space
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Local maps
- A cellphone with chargers, an inverter, or solar charger
- Cash or travelers’ checks and change
- Important family documents, such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records. Keep these in a waterproof, portable container.
Additional Items
And once you have gathered the supplies for a basic emergency kit, you may want to consider adding the following:
- Prescription glasses, contact lenses, and denture supplies
- Infant formula, bottles, diapers, diaper rash ointment
- Pet food and extra water for your pet
- Emergency reference material, such as a first aid book or free information from the FEMA website, ready.gov
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person.
- Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- A complete change of clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes.
- Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Household chlorine bleach anda medicine dropper for disinfecting surfaces or purifying water
- Fire extinguisher
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Toilet paper, feminine supplies, and personal hygiene items
- Paper cups, plates, paper towels, and plastic utensils
- Paper and pencil, books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children