Life& Style | Emergency Preparedness

 

Do you have an emergency supply kit if a natural disaster strikes close to home?

I used to work at CSU East Bay campus in Hayward which was located on top of a hill. The campus was beautiful, but there were speculations that in case of an earthquake, the campus could be cut off from help for days.

One of the very first things that they told me was that I should have two emergency supply kits for both my car and my work place.

I made fun of it for a while before making two simple kits. Unfortunately I raided the munchies in my emergency supply kits quite often. I think I am lucky that I never ended up using these kits. 

No one knows when the next natural disaster is going to hit California.

The last time I checked on the flood map, in case of a major flood, my house is going to be under 5 feet of water. Water almost as tall as me.

My house isn't earthquake proof either so if the big one hits, I might only have seconds to get myself and my family out the door (although I just learned that during an earthquake you should Drop, Cover and Hold on until it passes before doing anything else).

 

So I am going to have a basic emergency supply kit ready just in case. I think you should think about having one for your family as well. 

I went straight to ready.gov website to get reliable information:

http://www.ready.gov  

Here is what I copied exactly from this site:

A basic emergency supply kit includes:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger 

Once you have gathered the supplies for a basic emergency kit, you may want to consider adding the following items:

• Prescription medications and glasses.
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, ID and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted, nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Here is a printable Emergency Supply List from the same site.

Don't wait too long to get your emergency supply kit ready. The next big natural disaster might be just around the corner. 

I am warning you, if disaster strikes, don't count on me to share my kid's water with you.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha