Emergency Supply Kits

[TNShannon]

With all the devastation in Haiti, it has gotten me to thinking long and hard about emergency supply kits for our home. Natural disasters can happen absolutely anywhere, so everyone needs to be prepared for the possibility.

When I lived in Kentucky several years ago, a tornado came through and ripped apart all the houses on the street next to ours. The worst our home had was a cracked window -- we were VERY lucky. But the damage was bad enough that we were out of power for three days. You remember that saying, you don't know what you've got until it's gone? I had NO idea how much we depended upon electricity for absolutely everything.

I put together an emergency kit right after that, but over time (and with no disasters or close calls!), I've become really lax about keeping it stocked. I'm going to work on a new one this week, and make sure it's all together.

Here's a good place to find a list of items you might need for an emergency kit:

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/

Even if you can't get it all together at once (that can be expensive), start by doing a little bit at a time, perhaps one item a week. Soon you will have the things you need, and you won't have to worry about whether or not your children have the things you need in an immediate emergency.

Remember to put the kit into something you can carry. I use a big Rubbermaid tub, one with the handles on both sides. One person can carry it if necessary, two people can carry it easily, and it fits well into the trunk of a car.

Oh...and if you have pets, make sure to have their emergency kit ready, too. I keep one for our pets in a cloth bag, kinda like a laundry bag, and I keep it tucked away inside their carrier. I take it out only to take them to the vet, and then I put the kit back in.

Any ideas for emergency kits? Any stories to tell? You never know when an emergency may arise, so it pays to have the peace of mind of knowing you are ready, whenever and wherever you are.

[angie1976]

Thank you for the ideas. We do have an emergency food and water supply, but I never thought about an emergency kit for pets. That is a really great point that I had never thought of before. I am going to start building an emergency kit for the pets this weekend.

Thank you, again!