emergency supplies, but people have not been
finding it. (I added notes at the bottom that you
need to read.) Here it is again, since you will need
it if you plan to shelter in place:
Disaster Supplies Kit (Red Cross)
A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items that could be needed in the event of a disaster.
Assemble the following items to create kits for use at home, the office, at school and/or in a vehicle:
- Water—one gallon per person, per day (3day supply for evacuation, 2week supply for home)
- Food—nonperishable, easytoprepare items (3day supply for evacuation, 2week supply for home)
- Flashlight
- Batterypowered or handcrank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medications (7day supply) and medical items
- Multipurpose tool
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Family and emergency contact information
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Map(s) of the area
Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:
- Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
- Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
- Twoway radios
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Manual can opener
Additional supplies to keep at home or in your kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:
- Whistle
- N95 or surgical masks
- Matches
- Rain gear
- Towels
- Work gloves
- Tools/supplies for securing your home
- Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
- Plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Household liquid bleach
- Entertainment items
- Blankets or sleeping bags
Pack the items in easy-to-carry containers, label the containers clearly and store them where they would be easily accessible. Duffle bags, backpacks, and covered trash receptacles are good candidates for containers. In a disaster situation, you may need access to your disaster supplies kit quickly - whether you are sheltering at home or evacuating. Following a disaster, having the right supplies can help your household endure home confinement or evacuation.
Make sure the needs of everyone who would use the kit are covered, including infants, seniors and pets. It's good to involve whoever is going to use the kit, including children, in assembling it.
(My comments on quantities needed for your emergency supplies, etc.)
I do not know why the Red Cross keeps telling people to store amounts that will not be enough to hold people until they get help in emergencies. Katrina showed that is a big problem. It is better to store supplies for longer than official estimates tell you to do.
Katrina was so big that it overwhelmed resources that usually provide help. Weather is setting new records all over the world and then the new records get broken.
Even a "minor" pandemic will easily overwhelm available resources and all the stores get emptied out by people during initial panic. Plan your supplies for longer than official estimates. If you are sheltering in place during an epidemic of disease, the last thing you want is to have to go out foraging for food, etc. in the middle of it.
If storing extra is an economic hardship for you, store as much as you can afford and gradually add to it. Please do not waste your food storage. Pick food that you like to eat all the time for your storage and rotate it into your daily meals and replace it as you use it. This also provides a buffer against rising food prices. It can also give you a way to wait for sales to cut costs.
(My comments on quantities needed for your emergency supplies, etc.)
I do not know why the Red Cross keeps telling people to store amounts that will not be enough to hold people until they get help in emergencies. Katrina showed that is a big problem. It is better to store supplies for longer than official estimates tell you to do.
Katrina was so big that it overwhelmed resources that usually provide help. Weather is setting new records all over the world and then the new records get broken.
Even a "minor" pandemic will easily overwhelm available resources and all the stores get emptied out by people during initial panic. Plan your supplies for longer than official estimates. If you are sheltering in place during an epidemic of disease, the last thing you want is to have to go out foraging for food, etc. in the middle of it.
If storing extra is an economic hardship for you, store as much as you can afford and gradually add to it. Please do not waste your food storage. Pick food that you like to eat all the time for your storage and rotate it into your daily meals and replace it as you use it. This also provides a buffer against rising food prices. It can also give you a way to wait for sales to cut costs.
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