A couple nights ago, there was a huge storm that passed through the area. I was working on my computer, and Rachel was working on a water color painting for work. Then, as if tempting fate, Rachel said, "Wouldn't it be horrible if the power went out right now? We would never get this stuff finished!" No more than 20 seconds later the room went dark. There was silence, followed by a simple retort: "You just had to say it..."
The power was back up a couple seconds later and we went about our evening, but it started me thinking about what would happen if the power was out for a couple days. Between natural disasters, mechanical errors, and all the craziness the sun has been spewing out recently, I decided it was time to build an emergency kit for the house. You should make one for yours. Hopefully you won't ever need one, but if you do a little bit of effort now might just save your life.
A good natural disaster kit includes four categories of item: Food/Water, Medical/Hygienic items, and Survival gear.
Food/Water: Bottled water is cheep and might be the most essential part of your kit. You need clean water for everything! Just think about how much water you have used today. You hopefully showered, brushed your teeth, had coffee, etc... In a survival situation you need about a gallon of water per person, per day to accommodate all of your needs.
I once read that you can survive 3 weeks without food, but personally I don't want to try it. You should plan for 2 high calorie meals a day, per person. Think about energy bars, granola, peanut butter, etc... Beyond that, stock up on some extra canned goods. They are cheap and you are going to buy them anyway. So buy a couple extra and replace them as you use them. Plan to have enough food and water for one week.
Medical/Hygienic items: Have an extra bottle of shampoo, body wash, and hand soap in the house. It will keep you from running out, and in an emergency they can help stave off all kinds of bad things.
Get a first aid kit! It's foolish not have one. I found ours on sale for $11 and it has everything we need in it. If you don't have one, go get one right now. If you are on an prescriptions, it's a good idea to refill them before you completely run out, and keep them in a place you can get to quickly.
Survival gear: There are basically two types of emergencies. Either you bunker down in your house, or you are forced to travel. Be ready for either. Bare minimum you will need waterproof matches, a good knife, rope, extra clothes, duct tape, flashlights, batteries, cash, and your ID.
Most importantly, HAVE A PLAN! We have fire drills in schools. This week there are tornado drills throughout Virginia. We have plans for our offices and schools, so make sure to have one for your home. Talk it over with your family and friends. Make sure everyone knows what to do if there is an emergency.
Here is a great checklist I found to help you get your your survival kit in order.
Master Supply List
You can also get more information from these site:
Ready.gov
72hours.org
Red Cross
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