Ten Essentials in a Home Emergency Kit

Thanks to Neil Street for this guest post about things we all should have ready in our homes…

As we all know, an emergency can strike at any time. Sadly, they usually come when we least expect them. While you can’t protect yourself against every eventuality, you can take some sensible steps that should give you and your loved ones a measure of security if the unthinkable happens.

What should you stash in a home emergency kit? The answer depends to a certain extent on what kind of emergency you are preparing for. If you are trying to plan for World War III, you might need a concrete bunker and a purified air supply for the next twenty years. But for most of us, we have to be a bit more realistic. So for the sake of this checklist, imagine you are preparing for an event that knocks you off the grid for 2 or 3 days. Most domestic emergencies probably fall in that time range, or less.

Some of the events that could trigger this emergency include wind storms that knock out power, snow that leaves you housebound, floods, regional power outages, or blistering heat that creates ozone alerts that make going outside dangerous for anyone with asthma. The list could go on and on, but the ten essentials in your emergency kit remain the same.

Keep your emergency supplies in a part of your house or apartment that is easily accessible, at least with the help of a flashlight. Don’t stash it in a corner of the attic behind a ton of other items. If the time comes when you need to access it, you will want to get to it easily.

Home emergency kit is a necessity--be prepared.

There are other items not on this list you may want to consider, depending on your personal situation. You should customize it as you see fit, but here are ten core items that are likely to be important to most people.

 

• Flashlights for everyone. This is basic. When the power goes out on a cold winter night, you have to be able to move around and gather supplies. Keep enough flashlights for everyone in a very handy place, along with fresh batteries.
• Battery-operated lamps. There are many affordable kinds of lamps at your local big-box store. They are much safer than candles. Have at least two for each room you may occupy during a blackout, and one for each bathroom.
• A two or three day supply of food. It should be non-salty (you won’t have water to waste) and non-perishable. Good foods to store include canned foods, especially those with a high liquid content, and salt-free crackers.
• A supply of paper plates and plastic forks, even though they are not eco-friendly. This is a good time to use them. You won’t have water to spare to wash cups and dishes.
• A gallon of fresh water per person, per day. This is easy to keep in stock – just get the big gallon jugs from your local grocery.
• Battery-operated radio for emergency news and updates. The electricity is most likely cut off, so battery-operated gadgets are key. Keep it tuned to local stations for news about what is happening in the outside world.
• Basic first aid kit. A small kit could include bandages, band-aids, scissors, tweezers, antiseptic, thermometer, latex or latex-free gloves, and non-prescription pain reliever, antihistamine, and maybe antacid.
• Alternate heating source. If you are fortunate enough to have a fireplace in your home, you have an alternate heating source ready to go. Just make sure you have a supply of firewood at all times during the winter. If you don’t have a fireplace, you will need to check with a local heating expert to see what kind of alternatives might be best for you. Beware of bringing outdoor equipment, such as a propane camping heater, indoors. It is likely to release carbon monoxide or other toxic by-products, which may be fatal.
• A charging unit that will be fully-charged when the lights go off. It should be powerful enough to keep your cell phone charged.

Last but not least — the all-important manual can-opener, for opening your canned food. It’s the one that people ususally forget!

Neil Street is a freelance blogger and author. Most recently he has written about personal protective equipment, including heavy duty work gloves.