Items for an emergency
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You never know when an emergency or disaster is going to hit your family or area. Whether it is a hurricane, snow storm, or other disaster, you will want to be prepared! Following is a list of items you may want to include. Have these items handy, ready to go - you may just need at home, or take with you - either way, have them in one place, where you can easily find them.
- 2 way radios
- 72 hour kit
- Baby items
- Baby wipes – for babies, and for everyone to bathe with
- Batteries
- Battery operated radio & batteries
- Blankets
- Buckets for water leaks
- Can opener for food
- Canned food
- Car adaptor to charge items AC adaptor
- Car charger for cell phones
- Cash – ATMs don’t work when power is down & stores can’t accept credit cards - start now stashing small bills every week – have small change – stores can’t make always change
- Change, coins
- Chlorine bleach & dropper – to treat water, or as a disinfectant
- Clorox cleaning wipes
- Computer documents on a jump drive
- Coolers
- Copies of important paperwork - prescriptions, financial records, IDs, birth certificates, legal documents, driver’s license, Social Security card, proof of residence, insurance policies, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates, tax records
- Crank flashlights
- Crank radios
- Dust mask
- Education, college transcription information
- Elderly supplies
- Emergency radio
- Emergency reference manual
- Entertainment, games, books, puzzles, and activities for children
- Extra cell phone batteries
- Extra laptop battery
- Family emergency plan
- Feminine supplies
- Fire extinguisher
- First aid book
- First aid kit
- Flashlights
- Garbage bags
- Gas – refill gas in your car when you get to ½ full
- Gas cans with gas
- Generator
- Infant formula
- Infant supplies
- Kleenex
- Ladder for crawl space
- Lanterns
- Lighter
- Maps
- Matches
- Medical supplies
- Over the counter medications
- Paper & pencil
- Paper cups, paper plates, plastic utensils
- Paper towels
- Pet food
- Pet supplies
- Phone numbers for family members, friends, medical, insurance, financial, employment and other key contacts
- Photos on jump drive
- Pliers or wrench to turn off utilities
- Prescriptions
- Resume & employment information
- Rope
- Saw
- Sleeping bags
- Tarps
- Toilet paper
- Tools
- Travelers checks
- Water – cases of bottled water
- Water – large water containers / barrels – as many as you can fit in your house
- Water – one gallon of water per person, per day – drinking & sanitation
- Whistle
