September is National Preparedness Month, and although it’s almost over, it’s not too late to start preparing your home, car and office for a potential emergency. Americans run the gamut in terms of how they approach disaster preparedness. For some, creating an emergency kit means stashing a few LED flashlights around the house. On the other end of the spectrum, staunch survivalists known as “preppers” spend small fortunes on building and stocking their own emergency bunkers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages families and businesses to aim for something between the two extremes: creating a disaster plan and stocking enough food, water and supplies for a three-day emergency.
The U.S. (and the world) has seen some devastating natural disasters over the past 12 years that illustrate the need for preparedness. Since 2000, disasters have caused $1.3 trillion in damage, killing 1.1 million people and affecting 2.7 billion more, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. While these life-altering events can’t be prevented, being prepared means a safer and quicker recovery for everyone.
Here at COAST, we recommend getting started by creating a home emergency kit that includes the following items:
- Three-day water supply (one gallon per person per day)
- Three-day food supply (use non-perishable food in break-proof containers)
- LED flashlights for all family members, with extra batteries
- LED lantern for general area light, with extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Multi-tool with pliers for turning off utilities
- Moist towelettes and garbage bags with plastic ties for sanitation
- Radio (battery powered or hand crank) for receiving disaster updates
- Emergency whistle
- Dust mask for filtering contaminated air
- Full set of warm clothes for each family member
- Blankets and sleeping bags
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Three-day supply of necessary prescription medications
- Copies of essential documents (ID, insurance policies, bank account records)
To learn more about getting ready for a disaster, check out our free eBook, Tools for Survival: A Guide to Emergency Preparedness.