Do you fear a Natural Disaster in your community? The truth is, even if we don’t fear one, we should always be prepared for one! Here are some tips on how you can prepare for a natural disaster!
You will need at least 72 hours (3 days) worth of supplies to be safe. I will give you the list of the items you will need to go purchase.
WATER
You should have at least one gallon of water per person per day and make sure you don’t leave out your furry friends. Two quarts of the water should be for drinking and two quarts for each person should be for sanitation and food preparation.
Make sure if you don’t use this water within six - eight months to change it out. Water in containers does go bad!
FIRST AID KIT
•Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
•Assorted sizes of safety pins
•Cleansing agent/soap
•Latex gloves (2 pairs)
•Sunscreen
•2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
•4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
•Triangular bandages (3)
•Non-prescription drugs such as Pain relievers, Anti-diarrhea medicines, Antacid, Syrup of Ipecac (used to induce vomiting with the advice of a Poison Control Center), Laxatives, Activated charcoal (used with advice from the Poison Control Center)
•Various roller bandages
•Scissors
•Tweezers
•Needle
•Moistened towelettes
•Antiseptic
•Thermometer
•Tongue blades (2)
•Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
It is easier to buy an already made up first aid kit. Make sure you get a good one though, as some do not have all the items you may need. Important: Do not skimp around on a good first aid kit. This is VERY important!
FOOD
•Buy Ready-to-eat canned meats, vegetables, and fruits.
•Buy Canned juices, soup, and milk
•Have salt, pepper, and sugar in your kit.
•Make sure you get food that will not increase your thirst, such as: High energy foods like peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, and trail mix.
•Have a good supply of any vitamins you might take
•Don’t forget Foods for infants, the elderly, and persons with special dietary needs (if you have any of these in your family)
•Comfort/stress foods: Hard candy, sweetened cereals, Suckers, instant coffee, tea bags. (These are not necessary, but if you stress easily, you might want them!)
•Don’t forget the Pet food - at least a couple ounces of food per animal pound per day.
•DO NOT get foods like rice, pasta and dry beans that require a great deal of water to prepare. Restock your food once a year!
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
•Keep Paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils on hand
•Buy Battery-operated radio and extra batteries - )They even have hand cranked ones now that don’t require batteries!)
•Flashlight and extra batteries (Hand cranked charge available here too!)
•Cash or traveler’s checks, in case banks are closed in the days following an earthquake
•A manual can opener or a utility knife
•Small fire extinguisher
•Pliers
•Tape
•Matches in a waterproof container
•Aluminum foil
•Plastic storage containers
•Signal flare
•Paper, pencil
•Needles, thread
•Medicine dropper
•Wrench, to turn off gas and water
CLOTHING AND BEDDING
•Sturdy shoes (steel toe is a good option if you can afford them) or work boots (keep near your bed)
•Rain gear
•Blankets and/or sleeping bags
•Warm clothing
•Sunglasses (keep your spare eyeglasses in the emergency kit, too.)
SANITATION
•Toilet paper
•Toothpaste/Toothbrush
•Soap and liquid detergent
•Feminine supplies
•Plastic garbage bags and ties
•Plastic bucket with tight lid
•Disinfectant
•Household chlorine bleach
•Bags for pet waste
DOCUMENTS
•Insurance policies, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds, and/or wills
•Passports, social security cards, immunization records
•Bank account numbers
•Credit card account numbers and companies
•Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
•Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
(Keep these locked up in a lock safe in a practical , but safe spot in your house, where you can grab them in a hurry if you need to.)
Make sure you buy a large backpack or duffle bag to store these items in. You can then keep them under your bed or in a closet out of the way.
Good places to go buy these items would be Wal-Mart, or Big 5, or any Sporting Goods Store.
If you do not have time to go out and buy all these items one for one, it is understandable. Wee are all very busy these days. This does take time to collect all of these items. It is VERY important that you have these items though. An emergency can happen at any time! Here are a couple web sites that can help you out by just ordering a backpack full of supplies. (You will still need to go out and buy a few things.)
www.lifesecure.com
Good luck and be safe!
