When severe weather hits there is absolutely no time to go to the store for supplies, so it is important that you build you & your family an emergency kit right now. So why not use our severe storm emergency checklist?
Hurricane season is the perfect time to check your preps. Take a few minutes to prepare your family for a storm NOW and you’ll be ready later, whether it is for a hurricane, a tornado, or even an ice storm this winter.
If you don’t want to disturb your main preps (or you just have no supplies at all) then start with these supplies.
Phase One
- 1 gallon of water PER PERSON PER DAY for 3 days
- supply of canned foods, food bars, or MRE’s
- manual can opener
- good working flashlight with extra batteries
- any medicine you & your family takes (both prescription & over the counter)
- basic first aid kit
- extra toilet paper(!)
- copies of important personal documents (like homeowners insurance)
- some extra cash
- emergency blanket per person (at the very least!)
- cellphone
- matches, lighter, or fire starter
- knife
With a Phase One kit you’ll be prepped for a small storm or minor incident lasting about 3 days (72 hours). If you have the time and want to be more prepared you should step up to Phase Two by adding a few more items.
Phase Two
- more food (up to two weeks worth)
- more water (as much as you can realistically store)
- book bag, hiking bag, etc.
- a simple solar charger for your cellphones & electronics
- a small portable FM radio
- weather radio
- two way radios
- rain gear
- trash bags
- pet supplies
- duct tape
- tools & supplies to secure your home
- sleeping bags
- tarp
- plastic sheeting
- work gloves
- extra set of clothes per person
- camping stove
- set of stainless utensils
- basic travel size toiletries
- expanded first aid kit
- Extra diapers & wipes for babies & toddlers
- More thermal blankets
And for the ladies:
- Sanitary napkins
- Tampons
- Hairbrush
- Hair ties
Now you’re all set to weather out most storms. If you want to be thorough there are some simple extras to keep you (and the kids!) sane:
Extras
- Small board games that are easy to travel with (I recommend the magnetic travel versions)
- notepad
- pens
- crayons
- coloring books (I recommend FunPads, they offer a lot to do, are inexpensive but they are very compact!)
- battery powered electronics
- batteries (all sizes but mainly AA & AAA)
- books
- puzzle books
- extra snacks for the kids (never underestimate the power of chocolate in tough times!)
- a couple of pet toys
Other than the basic must haves its up to you to decide what you put in your emergency kit. Sit down with your family and talk things out, make a list, and get busy.
In the end it is up to you to protect your family.
You know what your family needs and don’t need. You child may not be able to go to sleep without a bedtime story every night, so you know you need a couple of those.
You may not have kids but your furbabies chew up everything in sight unless they have their favorite toys. Keep this in mind… if you need it on a regular basis then you need to add it to your prep list.
Periodically rotate out any foods in the kit and go over your safety plans.
Have fun putting your emergency kit together as a family. Talk about what you would do in an emergency situation and show everyone in the household where the kit is.
