Do 1 Thing: Emergency Supplies

By Cate Shockey

This blog is part of a series, covering a preparedness topic each month from the Do 1 Thing Program . Join us this month to discuss emergency kits.

With the holidays around the corner and winter weather creeping in, it’s the perfect time to put together your emergency kit.  Your kit should include important items that you will need in an emergency, and a go bag of things you will need if you have to evacuate.  Trying to get supplies after an emergency can be difficult.  Roads may not be accessible, grocery stores may be closed, ATMs might not be working, and other people may have also rushed out for supplies, emptying out the store shelves of what you need most.

It is important to be able to provide for yourself and your family following a disaster.  In a disaster, it may be tough for first responders to get to you immediately, and a good supply will ensure that you and your family’s immediate needs are taken care of.

So what do you need in your emergency kit?  Here’s a quick list, but you should also consider the special needs of your family (small children, elderly parents, medical needs, pet supplies).

• Water – one gallon per person, per day.
• Nonperishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio
• Batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications
• Personal hygiene items
• Important documents
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family communication plan with emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Maps of the area

Throughout the year, Do 1 Thing has helped me put together a solid emergency kit.  I have my family communications plan, water supply, food supply, pet needs, a battery-powered radio, flashlights, and extra batteries.  I felt pretty confident about my kit this month, but realized that what I was seriously lacking was copies of my important documents.  Quite honestly, those are all over the place. 

This month, I pulled together a list of my medical information and made copies of my rental agreement, passport, birth certificate, social security information, driver’s license, and insurance policy.  By having a copy all in one place, I’ll be able to easily grab them if I need to evacuate.  It’s also important to scan these documents and save them electronically, just in case something happens to your home (fire, tornado, flooding, etc.)

Here are a few things you can do this month to get your emergency supplies ready:

• Put together a go bag.  The bag of supplies should be easy to carry and easy to get to.  You’ll want to put in the bag many of the items that you have in your home emergency kit: batteries, radio, flashlight, blankets, emergency documents, personal hygiene items, a first aid kit, whistle, change of clothing, nonperishable snacks, and water.
• If you don’t have one already, make sure to add a battery-operated or hand-crank radio to your emergency kit.  A NOAA weather radio will give you weather warnings around the clock.
• Stash some cash in case ATMs and credit card machines don’t work in a disaster. 

Check out Do 1 Thing for more tips and information, and start putting your plans in place for unexpected events. Are YOU ready?

What’s in your emergency kit?  Leave a comment and let us know!