Do you have enough emergency supplies in case of an emergency or disaster? During the month of November, our topic focuses on making sure you have what you need at home, work, school, or in your car. Now is the time to check your supplies, get rid of anything that may not be needed and get whatever supplies you may need. Below is a list of suggested items to have on hand.
- Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
- Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food)
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Extra batteries
- Whistle (to signal for help)
- Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
- Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
- Manual can opener (for food)
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
You do not have to purchase everything at once. You can get an item each week or every other week until your kit is fully stocked. Be sure to visit budget friendly stores that sell items for low costs. You do not have to purchase those big expensive emergency kits in order to consider yourself prepared. Most people find it hard to build a kit because they don’t know where to start. That is why Do1Thing encourages people to take small steps in order to become prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies.
Sit down with your family and loved ones to talk about whether or not they have emergency supplies as well. The more we work together, the more ready our communities will be for what’s ahead. You may also know a neighbor that is unable or having trouble getting their own supplies. If you can, offer to help them and be sure to check on them when a disaster or emergency does happen.
Each year you should go through your emergency supplies to check to see if anything is expired or need replacing. Nonperishable food items are a good example of items to check expiration dates on. Even bottled water will expire (and sometimes evaporate when left too long unused). You also want to check the expiration dates on batteries. Lastly, keep your items in a cool dry place. If something like a flood were to happen, any items that come into contact with flood waters are rendered unsafe.
If you have questions, feel free to contact us at support@do1thing.com