Thoughts for thursday

With hurricane Irene last week hitting the East Coast, I thought to myself, how prepared am I for an emergency? Have you thought about this? Here are a few things you may want to gather to make sure you are prepared for anything that may happen.

 

Water

Food

Batteries

Glow sticks

Matches/ or magnifying glass

Duct Tape

Manual can opener

Someone to call

What situation do you need to prepare for? How long could you be without water or electricity? Make sure you have at least three 20oz bottles of water for each person in your home for two to three days. After two or three days you should be able to get help and be able to obtain more water if needed. You may also look into getting water purification tablets or a solar powered water purification device and have bleach on hand. You can use 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water to disinfect water. Shake and let it stand for 30 min.

Do you have enough food to eat if you do not have electricity or gas to cook? Since I stockpile my food, the answer to this is a resounding YES. We could even cook outside for a while with propane or wood on the grill or smoker. I think we would survive for at least a month if I could not buy any more food from the store. Be sure you have a manual can opener to open any can goods you may have in case the electricity is out.


Do you have enough batteries for your flashlight or candles if the electricity goes out? We have been purchasing only rechargeable batteries for every battery we replace. This may be a little more expensive, but we are not putting many batteries back into the environment as our kids use them up like candy for all their toys. I think we have replaced nearly every battery at least once. We have a set in the drawer that has been charged for each battery type, AA, AAA, D, C and 9 volt just in case they are needed. I am considering purchasing a solar battery charger for just in case such an emergency is needed. They even have solar powered battery chargers for your phone. I am thinking of getting one of these as well.


Someone to call to check in to let them know you are OK and to spread the word to everyone else. This is a good idea to have someone to call and then they can post on social media or get the word to others to let everyone know you are OK and survived. This also helps relieve the phone lines of unnecessary calls. The lines will be free for emergencies from others who truly may need help.


If you do not have a kit all put together, you should make a list of the items you would want to bring or collect in case of an emergency. Also keep this list in a convenient place like taped to a kitchen cabinet where everyone in the house knows where it is.


Do you have any other items you think are a must for an emergency kit? Do you already have and emergency kit packed?