It used to be a thing that you only saw in movies where a family was rushing to escape the natural disaster coming towards their home and they had to stuff as much as they could into a bag and head to some sort of bunker or safe ground. The older I get however, the more I see those things happening to average people just like you and me.
Whether it's a blizzard, a flood, a hurricane, a wildfire, or if you live in Pennsylvania you may hear people speak of when they evacuated because they thought Three Mile Island was going to leak/explode, it's ALWAYS a good idea to have an Emergency Preparedness Kit at the ready. My Patriot Supply is a great resource to use for more information regarding preparedness and also a great place to purchase supplies to stock up.
So here is a list of what you SHOULD have in an Emergency Preparedness Kit.
||WATER|| They say you should have approximately one gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days. This water would be used for sanitation and drinking. We currently keep a few cases of water in the one room in our basement for emergency situations. Water isn't expensive so stock up sooner than later because whenever a crisis occurs that's when the stores start running out of the basics.
||FOOD|| You should have a few days worth of food and make sure it's stuff that won't spoil. This means stocking up on canned goods like vegetables, stews, beans, etc. Make sure you have a manual can opener, too.
||RADIO|| If you have a small radio you can use in case of an emergency, that's great!! It's an excellent way to keep in touch with the news and what's going on out there.
||LIGHTING|| In the event that electricity is out you will certainly need flashlights and even battery powered lanterns.
||BATTERIES|| Always have spare batteries on hand because you may need them.
||CLEANING SUPPLIES|| Garbage bags and wet wipes will be crucial when it comes to waste management and personal sanitation.
||CELL PHONE CHARGERS|| Make sure you have cell phone chargers and a backup battery (Charge it on a regular basis if necessary) so that in case you don't have a car to charge your phone in or the power is out, you will still have power for your cell.
||MATCHES, CANDLES, & LIGHTERS|| Always keep matches and lighters as well as a supply of candles. Make sure you have them in a waterproof container.
||UTENSILS & PLATES|| Stock up on paper items like napkins, paper towels, paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic utensils for eating and food preparation.
||FIRST AID|| The easiest way to have a first aid kit is to just purchase one from the local drug store but if you want to make your own make sure you have bandages, antibiotic ointment, allergy items, basic pain reliever medicine, gauze, and tape.
||BLANKETS|| It's always smart to have extra blankets and towels in your kit for hygiene and obviously keeping warm.
||PET SUPPLIES|| If you have pets, you want to make sure they are prepared as well so have a supply of canned food and extra water for them. If you have portable bowls and water bottles for them, put those in your kit.
||PAPER & PEN|| It's always good to have something to write with and it gives you something to do if you have kids that will get bored. Coloring books are a great thing to add to your kit as well as games and puzzles.
If you have some of these items around your home already that's great but if not, make sure you stock up from a company such as My Patriot Supply.
You can keep your items in a plastic container but make sure you go through it each year to replace expired items and keep a running list of what's in your kit. If your household changes over the years, update your kit to reflect those changes. And of course if you are keeping your kit somewhere in your home make sure all family members know where it is.
