Continuing with the theme from our Boy Scouts Ten Essentials post, here is what the Red Cross suggests that you have in your emergency preparedness kit. Take a look and pull some ideas for what items you might add to your own kit.
Minimum Basic Supplies:
- Water: 1 gallon a day per person (3-day supply for an evacuation / 2 week supply at home)
- Food: non-perishable and easy to prep (3-day supply for evacuation / 2 week supply at home)
- Flashlight
- NOAA weather radio (battery powered or hand-crank)
- Extra Batteries
- Family first-aid kit
- Medications for 7 days and medical supplies
- Multipurpose tool
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents (i.e. passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, home lease/dead, medical information)
- Mobile phone and charger
- Family and Emergency Contact info
- Extra Cash
- Emergency blanket
- Map of the area
Beyond those basics, the Red Cross also encourages you to consider the following list and the needs of you and/or your family:
- Medical supplies
- Baby supplies
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies
- Two-way radios
- Extra set of car and house keys
- Manual can opener
And finally a few more items to consider that may be more specific to your area:
- Whistle
- N95 or surgical masks
- Matches
- Rain gear
- Towels
- Work gloves
- Tools/supplies for securing your home
- Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
- Plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Household liquid bleach
- Entertainment items
- Blankets of sleeping bags
The full American Red Cross list can be found here.