Severe Weather Preparedness Kit
Year after year, severe weather hits many states throughout the United States causing a lot of devastation. Many times, the devastation is so bad that people will lose everything they have or will be trapped in their homes, basements, or cars as a result. Sometimes people are trapped for several hours before emergency respondents are able to rescue them. Today’s topic of discussion is building a kit that can help you survive just in case severe weather affects you.
The first step is to have something to store all of your survival necessities in. This could be a backpack, a pre-made kit from the stores, or some sort of plastic container. Whatever you choose, make sure it is something that you can leave sit in your basement or wherever your shelter is at. Once you find a container or bag to keep things in, there are many things that should be included in the kit. Below is a list of some things you may want to include. Make sure to include enough supplies for 72 hours of waiting.
- Water (3 gallons per person)
- Nonperishable foods (Peanut butter, canned fruits, canned soups, granola bars, etc..)
- Baby bottles & formula if you have a baby
- Medications (prescription and non-prescription)
- Flashlights (At least 2)
- NOAA weather radio (With extra batteries)
- Battery operated radio (With extra batteries)
- First aid kit (Band-aids, gauze pads, peroxide, alcohol swabs, etc..)
- Tools & Supplies (Duck tape, paper, pencils, compass, hammer, nails, screws, etc..)
- Sanitation (Hand sanitizer, disinfectants)
- Masks (In case of gas leaks or any other things that should not be breathed in)
These items will help keep you and your family alive just in case you are trapped for several hours, or even a day or two. Water and gas lines could be shut off for an extended period of time as well, which will make it more difficult to get necessary supplies. A charged cell phone would be another good thing to have so you are able to reach other family members or emergency response personal. These simple items will help you be a force of nature, instead of being affected by the force of nature.