Safety Basics: Disaster Kit

Judy: Hi, this is Judy Davis and I live in western North Carolina. I lost vision fairly quickly, and I have no local family, so that can be more challenging at times.

It was raining really, really heavenly. All night I was listening to things falling, and that is scary. Around midday, the rain had slowed down and was almost stopped. I asked my neighbor, I said, look, can we walk up to the street to see what happened to our street?

There was a big pile of debris on the street where a tree had come down and taken down power lines and taken down a transformer, and it really felt like that disaster movie thing where people are coming out and just aghast at what they saw and things, and everybody was just checking in with each other.

I felt like I was somewhat prepared. I had on hand two gallons of water, and then probably a flat of water besides that, and I had low maintenance food. I had nuts. I had dried fruits, I had cereal, I had apples, so I felt like I had a lot of food and water supplies, and then a friend to give me a power bank a couple years ago. So I had that.

I had an emergency radio, and it was one of the hand crank ones. You always hear about the go bag, but I think you also need to have I, I call it now a stay she or a stay box or something. Being ahead of the game before the storm hits is a good thing.

Imagine waking up to the sound of a siren, an alarm on your mobile phone, a police officer banging at your door. A fire, a storm, or a flood is heading your way and you have to get out fast. You don’t have time to think, and you certainly don’t have time to plan. You only have time to grab a few items as you rush to evacuate. Now, what you take with you can make a huge difference in your safety and even your chances of survival.

For many of us, our evacuation supplies are all over the place, and the chances of finding and packing them during an actual emergency are almost impossible. So, we want our disaster kit to be ready. There are kits for sale, but they can be expensive, and you probably have everything you need already on hand. 

Remember, we’re not planning for the end of the world; we’re just making sure we have what we need to stay healthy, safe, and minimally comfortable for a short period of time. And as we talk about the items we need to gather, keep in mind that at best, we need a two-week supply, but not everyone can store that many supplies and that’s OK. Keep at hand a practical amount.

So what do you need? First, some paperwork. Create an emergency contact list. And we talk about this list more in depth in another session in this series. Get copies of credit cards and personal documents. Now remember, we’ll be keeping all the items together, so store your kit in a plastic storage tub in a convenient location. It’s that easy.

Next are key health supplies. Gather the items for a first aid kit. The resource page has a list of first aid items. And you can also purchase a first aid kit. Also include prescription medications you and your family members need.

Now food and water are essential. You need food in your disaster kit—one good meal a day per person in your household. It’s really good to choose foods high in protein and calories that don’t need any preparation. Now remember, if your food is in cans, use cans with pull-tabs that don’t need a can opener. And pack some paper plates, plastic utensils, and foil, perhaps a knife, or all-purpose tool.

Now finally, you need drinking water—ideally a two-week supply. That means one gallon per person per day in your household. That’s a lot of water to store, so keep what you can. Now it’s best to use commercially bottled water. If you fill your own containers, they will need to be cleaned and sterilized first. Remember, if you have a service animal or pets, they’ll need water as well.

Finally, you need some tools and gear. A battery-powered flashlight with extra batteries is a must. Two flashlights might be better. You can use them as signaling devices as well as navigation aids. It’s good to have candles and waterproof matches. And a battery-powered emergency radio or one with a hand crank is essential. Many good emergency radios are available for purchase. A hand crank can recharge your radio, and some models let the crank charge your cell phone. A pair of sturdy shoes is important, as well as extra clothes, sleeping bags, and blankets. If you have mobility and vision aids, such as an extra cane or magnifiers you might use, include them, too.

Now if you have to evacuate with a service animal, also be aware that service animals must be permitted in shelters if they are trained to assist a person with a disability. Unfortunately this is not true for pets. So we should create a disaster kit for our family, but that means we also need one for our service animal. So what does our service animal need, what do we need to bring?

Make sure that a service animal or pet has current identification tags, including the home number and an out-of-state contact number. And just as with service animals, it is a good idea to get pets either tattooed or micro-chipped.

Get together any medications your animal may need, an extra leash and collar, harness or carrier, food and water for at least three days, bowl, plastic bags for pick up, favorite toy, a copy of the animal’s health records, ID numbers, and the veterinarian’s contact information. If possible, include a blanket or bed, and a tie-down and grooming supplies.

Now finally, you also want to prepare written instructions on the care of the animal and photos and descriptions of your animal in case it is separated from you.

OK, I’ve mentioned just a few items; there are plenty more possible additions to our disaster kit. But, starting with these basic items will help you be better prepared for a disaster. It’s that easy.

Well, we’ve learned an easy step to take to stay safe in a disaster or an evacuation: creating a disaster kit.