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Preparing your Home for an Emergency

It is very important to always have your home prepared for emergencies such as power outages and or many other natural disasters which may interrupt your normal living patterns.If at all possible designate a place in your home, which is readily accessible, to these emergency items. I have lived through a variety of emergency situations and found the following items to be important and I also didn’t always have these things gathered together in one place. An unexpected emergency or disaster is stress enough without having to find the items needed to deal with the situation, especially in the dark!

Please be aware of vulnerable people, seniors, widows, single women and single mothers in your neighborhood who may be in need of some help at these times.

What to have on hand for a power outage, emergency or disaster:

1. Access to a flashlight, radio & fresh batteries. Always keep the batteries separate until you are ready to use them.
2. Candles & matches.
3. Bottled drinking water. Be sure to store at least one gallon per person per day. If a storm is forecast, fill the bathtub with water so bathroom facilities can still be used by pouring a bucket of water down the toilet to create a vacuum flush. This especially important to a home which may be on a private electric water pump.
4. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, keep kindling and dry firewood on hand. Store firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
5. If you have a gas fireplace with a low voltage lighter, keep fresh batteries available if there is a power outage. Do not install batteries until needed as natural gas will corrode the batteries and the case if batteries are left installed for an extended period of time.
6. Clothing. Wear extra layers and cover your head with a hat. Have sleeping bags and blankets handy too.
7. Easy to prepare food items. Purchase items that don’t require much cooking – canned or instant soups, stews or chili, packaged freeze-dried meals, and protein or breakfast bars are good to have on hand.
8. Gas camp stoves, lanterns or barbecues. NEVER use a camp stove or barbecue indoors! Be sure to use any lanterns on a flat, stable and non-flammable surface. Make sure to have extra fuel for cooking outdoors.
9. Ample supply of essential prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. During a storm, road travel may not be possible for several days.
10. First aid kit. Make sure that all of the supplies are filled ready to go.
11. Games. Board games and cards are fun and handy to pass the time.

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