When a disaster threatens you need to have a plan to keep your family safe. You need to have contingencies for whether you are able to stay in your home or if you need to evacuate. There are emergency supplies that you should have on hand and some that you should stock up on when the threat is imminent. Having a plan ahead of time can significantly reduce the stress of the situation. Communicate this plan with your entire family, including your children. Removing the uncertainty of what’s going to happen can go a long way in making them feel more comfortable. If everyone remains calm, it will be faster and easier to put your plan into action.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) your emergency supply kit should include:
Food and Water
- Water—one gallon per person, per day
- Food—easy-to-make and won’t spoil
- Manual can opener
Electronics
- Flashlight
- Battery powered, solar, or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Extra batteries
Health and safety supplies
- First aid kit
- Medicine (7-day supply), other medical supplies, and paperwork about any serious or on-going medical condition
- Emergency blanket
- Soap, toothbrush, and other personal care items
You should also keep:
- Family and emergency contact information
- Multipurpose tool
- Copies of important documents such as insurance cards, immunization records, etc.
- Extra cash
- Map(s) of the area
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
If you have babies, children, pets, or someone with special medical needs in your family, you should add:
- Medical supplies (e.g., hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, or a cane)
- Baby supplies (e.g., bottles, formula, baby food, and diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (see expanded list below)
Disaster Supply Checklist for Pets
- Food and water for at least 3 days for each pet; bowls or bottles, and a manual can opener.
- Depending on the pet, you may need a litter box, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and/or household bleach.
- Medicines and medical records stored in a waterproof container.
- First aid kit with a pet first aid book.
- Sturdy leash, harness, and carrier to transport pet safely. A carrier should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for several hours.
- Pet toys and the pet's bed, if you can easily take it, to reduce stress.
- Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated, and to prove that they are yours.
- Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Be Prepared So You and Your Family Can Stay Safe: Our Simple Inventory Solution Can Help
The CDC adds that it is important to maintain your emergency supplies. Clearly label your containers and check the dates to make sure that none of your perishables have expired. Stockpile simple inventory solution can really help in this situation. Few of us have the resources to keep two of everything on this list just so that we always have a fully packed emergency kit ready to go. In the event of a necessary evacuation most of us would be scrambling around the house trying to gather at least of some these items. In the event of an emergency, time is of the essence. The less time spent searching for items, the better. Having an accurate account of your items in Stockpile and being able to quickly and easily locate them will save you time and reduce the stress that unexpected events like this brings. You can even use Labels within Stockpile to indicate that items are part of your emergency preparedness kit. Our simple inventory solution makes it easy. When a disaster threatens you can search for that label and pull up a list of those items. Not only will this make it easy to access the records you need, it also provides a double check to ensure that you don’t forget anything. Improve your disaster preparedness by implementing Stockpile today!
