Being Prepared Beats Being Scared…
Tis the season for Torrential rain, Hurricanes and tropical depressions… We hope the storm curves out to sea, but you’ll be thanking your lucky stars that you stocked up on the essentials. Here’s a list of items to store in your basement, garage or extra closet space for disaster emergency use.
– Bottled Water in Gallon Jugs: Have enough water for each family member, including the pets for a minimum of three days
– Emergency Food Supply for 5-7 days: Non-Perishable/high-energy items such as crackers, granola bars, trail mix along with Ready-to-eat canned goods, powdered drinks, condensed milk, Peanut Butter, Jams, Pet Food, Dried fruit, cereal, instant coffee and tea bags and healthy snacks like Popcorn and Veggie Chips. If you are expecting or have a baby at home, don’t forget to add Baby formula and canned baby food to the list.
– Utensils and Disposable tableware: Stock up on plastic utensils, paper plates, cups and napkins. If you lose power, you’ll avoid unpleasant smells coming from a sink full of dirty dishes.
– Emergency Health Items: If you or a member of your family takes medicine on a daily basis, it’s a smart idea to keep an extra refill for emergency use. Important items like an extra Asthma inhaler, EpiPen for allergic reactions, Vitamins, Z-pack for bacterial infections, Asprin, eye drops, Benadryl, Neosporin, Aloe, Syrup of Ipecac and Vitamin C packs can come in handy should a storm leave you stranded.
– First Aid Kit: It’s important to keep a First Aid kit fully stocked at all times at home. Include items like non-laytex gloves, cold packs, band-aids, cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide, gauze, medical tape, tweezers, CPR mask, hand sanitizer and a medical waste container.
– Emergency Food Utensils and Supplies: In a power outage, you’ll most definitely need a manual can opener, Swiss-Army Knife, Tupperware/containers, aluminum foil, heavy duty garbage bags, paper towels.
– Power Outage Essentials: A bad storm equals no power which can feel unbearable after a few hours, let alone a week. Be sure to keep plenty of batteries, at least three flash lights, candles or LED lights, battery operated clock radio (AM/FM), glow sticks and waterproof matches in your storm kit. Tip: It’s also a good idea to stock board games, books and fun arts and crafts to help the time pass, or keep the kids from getting antsy.
– Personal Hygiene Basics: Toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, towelettes, soap, baby wipes, baby powder and feminine hygiene essentials. Tip: Use of all those hotel/travel size samples collecting space in your bathroom rather than spend money on more products.
– Hurricane Necessities: In the event of a hurricane, storing vital items such as warm blankets, extra clothing basics (socks, under garments, sweats, etc), Ponchos, Rain Boots, Citronella candles, Duct-Tape, Rope, Utility Knife, Fire extinguisher, Scissors, Whistle, and disposable bacterial masks will undoubtedly make life easier during and after the natural disaster.
– Cash: The moment a hurricane advisory broadcasts, head to your local ATM and take out enough cash to get through 7-10 days. In a disaster… Cash is most definitely King!