Prepare for the Unexpected with an Emergency Preparedness Kit

With natural disasters, such as snowstorms, hurricanes, and wildfires worsening every year due to extreme weather conditions, it’s important to be prepared for disasters should they strike. This is especially true if you own a home or business in a disaster-prone area. One thing you should consider having on hand is an emergency preparedness kit.

While all emergency preparedness kits should have key items, if you have pets, babies, or seniors to look after, there are additional items you might need to gather for an emergency preparedness kit.

Additionally, depending on the type of natural disaster for which you intend to prepare, there are supplemental items you should include in your kit. With wildfires currently ravaging primarily the west coast and other parts of the United States, we’ll cover items you should have in a wildfire emergency kit.

Emergency Preparedness Kit – Basics

1. Water: one gallon per person, per day for three to seven days
2. Food: three to seven-day supply of non-perishable items that are easy to prepare, such as canned foods or snacks. Pack can opener for canned foods if needed.
3. Disposable plates, cups, and utensils
4. First aid kit
5. Medications: seven-day supply and items needed to administer medication
6. Personal hygiene and sanitation items
7. Flashlights
8. Whistles
9. Extra batteries
10. Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio
11. Cell phone chargers and backup batteries
12. Personal documents: birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards/proof of residency, wills, passports, proof of address, deed/lease to residence, medication list, pertinent medical information,
13. Family and emergency contact information
14. Maps of the area
15. Cash
16. Spare car and house keys
17. At least one extra set of clothes, per person, preferably in bright colors
18. Reflective emergency blanket
19. Have easily carried valuables and irreplaceable items, like family photos near your emergency kit, so you can carry them with you if time allows