Preparing for an Emergency: A Disaster Supply Kit

Water

You should store one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. The average person needs about one-half gallon of drinking water each day, but individual needs may vary. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water. Very hot temperatures can double water needs.

The safest way to store water is to keep commercially bottled water in its original, unopened container. Alternatively, you can store tap water in food-grade water storage containers or sterilized plastic soft drink bottles ( not milk or juice bottles or cartons). These containers should be washed thoroughly with soap and water. Plastic soft drink bottles should be sanitized by adding one teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water, swishing the container with the solution, and then rinsing it with clean water.

If you are using water that is not treated with chlorine (e.g., well water), add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.

For anything other than commercially purchased bottled water, replace the water every six months.

Food

Each member of your household should have a three-day supply of nonperishable food that does not require refrigeration, cooking, water, or special preparation. You may also need special foods for infants, people with special dietary needs, and pets.

Consider storing a combination of the following:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
• Protein bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Peanut butter
• Dried fruit
• Nuts
• Crackers
• Canned juices
• Nonperishable pasteurized milk
• Vitamins
• Food for infants, if applicable
• Pet food, if applicable

Regularly take inventory of the foods in your kit and replace those that have expired. And, lastly, don’t forget to include a can opener in your supply kit.

Clean Air

In some emergencies, such as an explosion or biological terrorist attack, you may need to filter the air you are breathing. For this, a facial mask or dense-weave cotton material (e.g., several layers of a cotton t-shirt) can be worn snugly over your nose and mouth. You can purchase fitted facial masks in hardware stores.

If you are instructed to stay in your home, taping up your windows, doors, and air vents can help seal off a room from outside contamination. Therefore, your kit should include heavyweight plastic garbage bags or plastic sheeting, duct tape, and scissors.

Finally, a high efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA) filter fan can help remove dander, dust, molds, smoke, biological agents, and other contaminants, but cannot stop chemical gases.

First Aid

You can help care for injuries using supplies that are included in most basic first aid kits. But life-threatening emergencies require care from medical professionals, so if someone has stopped breathing or is bleeding severely, call for help.

You should have the following items in your first aid kit:

• Two pairs of Latex gloves (or other sterile gloves if you are allergic to Latex)
• Sterile dressings
• Cleansing agent/soap
• Antibiotic towelettes
• Antibiotic ointment
• Burn ointment
• Adhesive bandages
• Eye wash solution
• Thermometer
• Prescription medications (periodically rotated to account for expiration dates)
• Prescribed medical supplies (e.g., glucose/blood pressure monitoring equipment)
• Nonprescription drugs (e.g., pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacid, laxative)
• Tweezers
• Petroleum jelly

Special Needs Items

Certain people may need special supplies during an emergency. Babies may need formula, diapers, bottles, powdered milk, towelettes, and other such commodities. Elderly people and people with disabilities or medical conditions may need extra eyeglasses, hearing-aid batteries, wheelchair batteries, a list of prescription medications including dosages, and a list of medical devices (e.g., pacemaker) including style and serial numbers.

If you or someone in your household undergoes a complex medication regimen (e.g., injectable medications, nebulizers, dialysis), talk to a healthcare provider for help with emergency planning.

Other Necessities

Your kit should include changes of clothing and footwear for each member of your household, warm blankets or sleeping bags, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio or television, extra batteries (not expired), a whistle, cash or traveler’s checks, sanitation supplies, and copies of important documents (e.g., driver’s licenses, credit and insurance cards). If you live in a cold climate, pack warm clothing, including hats, mittens, scarves, coats, and extra blankets.

Talk with all of the members of your household to decide what else you might need during an emergency.