Putting together an emergency kit and getting a household disaster preparedness plan in place are easy tasks to put off. We’re all busy, and carving out time from a never-ending series of immediate chores and obligations in order to guard against an if can seem difficult or unnecessary. But with many sorts of natural disasters intensifying and global tensions rising, it’s a better idea than ever to follow the Girl Scout motto and BE PREPARED. Read on for a few easy steps everyone can and should take to be better prepared today!
Two weeks ago, an 8.0 earthquake hit in a sparsely populated area of the Peruvian Amazon jungle. Due to the remote location of the epicenter, only one person was killed and damages were relatively minimal. But it was a strong one, with the middle-of-the-night shaking lasting nearly a minute in Lima, striking fear into the hearts of capital city residents, many of whom remember all too well the similar magnitude quake centered much nearer to the metropolis that wrought destruction and left nearly 600 dead in 2007. All the city was abuzz the next few days about how strongly it was felt in different parts of the city, if you had been scared, if you’d left your house to wait it out in the street, and if you’d gotten your emergency kit together yet. This last point was repeated often on the radio, in places of work, and even in schools. My children came home asking where the safe spot was in or near our house, and telling me I had to buy blankets. I told them I was on it.
Which I was.
Am.
Mostly.
You see, it’s so easy to put off disaster planning. I had, in fact, the very night of the quake, after waiting to see if there’d be aftershocks and then getting everyone back to bed (including our new kittens, whom we’d brought home that day and who appeared, amazingly, to have simply slept through the whole thing), gone online to check out a few earthquake safety points I wanted clarification on, including: should we stay upstairs or go out to the street if a big one hits. Answer: stay upstairs. While reading, I also started jotting down a few more things on my running to buy list for a disaster kit that I’ve been working on for weeks, to make sure I was being as complete as possible. I had the firm intention of purchasing everything the very next day and organizing it all the next.
That was two weeks ago.
. . .
I haven’t even bought a new flashlight yet.
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But living on the Ring of Fire, I know I need to. So to help motivate myself and all of you, and to make things easy, I’ll share with you my master list, compiled from several different sources and reflecting my own additions and subtractions.
Master Disaster Kit List — Buy All This Stuff!
- Bottled water. (A gallon per person per day. Buy a mix of small bottles for drinking and large bottles for cooking or cleaning. No one wants to crack open and find room in the rapidly accumulating trash for half a dozen tiny bottles to fill a single pot to boil.)
- Canned and other shelf-stable food. (Check that expiration dates are a good ways off in the future so your food doesn’t go bad a few days or weeks after putting it in your kit. Also make sure there's a bit of variety and that it’s food you like!)
- Can opener. (Even if you buy pop tops, the pull tabs can break off, and then how will you get to all that nice non-perishable protein inside?)
- Silverware and dishes for eating the food. (Disposable works, but regular is also good, and creates less waste at a time when trash removal services may not be working. If you also include foil or wax paper sheets in your disaster kit, you can lay them on top of dishes to avoid having to wash them.)
- Foil or wax paper sheets. (See above.)
- Swiss Army knife or similar multitool. (For multiple knife and tool needs. Also good for stabbing any potential post-apocalyptic super beasts.)
- Duct tape. (All-around wonder material. Use as tape, water-proofing material, bandage substitute, building material, fabric substitute, twist into rope, etc. See Mythbusters “Duct Tape Island” for more ideas and lots of fun.)
- Matches and a lighter or two. (For fire.)
- Flashlights. (For light.)
- Radio. (A solar-powered radio can be used even when the power’s out, and a crank-powered radio can be used when the power’s out *and* the sun’s not out. You can also just stock up on plenty of batteries and use a normal radio.)
- Batteries. (For flashlights and radios. Make sure to check the sizes and expirations dates—yes, batteries can expire, too!—and get more than you think you’ll need.)
- Electronics chargers. (Phones, tablets, and computers are hugely helpful tools, and you’ll want them up and running. If you have electricity, your chargers will keep you in business in the same quick and easy manner to which you’ve become accustomed.)
- Power banks for electronics. (If the electricity’s out, you’re still going to want to use your electronics, and that’s where power banks come in. Charge your power bank(s) before adding them to your emergency kit, and don’t forget to also throw in a couple cables to be able to actually connect them to your electronics.)
- First aid kit. (Sterile gauze, bandaids, and ointment, oh my!)
- A 1-week supply of personal medicines. (In addition to basics like painkillers that should already be in your first aid kit, include any particular medications and/or equipment anyone in the household regularly takes or may need for situations Including, but not limited to: diabetes, heart disease, allergies, mental health, contraceptive, etc.)
- Personal hygiene items. (Diapers, tampons or sanitary pads, toothbrushes and paste, no-rinse shampoo, sanitizing hand gel.)
- Eye care items. (Extra glasses and/or contact lenses and fluid. If you can’t afford a whole new spare pair of glasses, an old pair that’s not quite the right prescription anymore will do in a pinch.
- A few changes of clothes. (Choose items that are sturdy and comfortable. Don't forget underwear! Also check periodically, maybe when you’re checking food and battery expiration dates, that clothes, for children and others, still fit appropriately.)
- Blankets and/or sleeping bags + tent. (In the event of a disaster, it’s possible it will be unsafe or utterly impossible to go inside your home. You’ll want somewhere warm and portable to stay.)
- Copies of the keys to any properties you own. (If you’re fortunate enough to have additional properties, they may be safe to stay in and will be more comfortable than a tent.)
- Hard copies of important IDs and documents. (Birth certificates, marriage certificates, adoption certificates, property deeds, educational diplomas, medical information, etc. Laminate if you can, or put into individual plastic sleeves, and keep in all in a sturdy binder.)
- Plastic garbage bags. (Useful as trash bags, but also to organize, protect, transport, etc.)
- Big duffel bag, plastic bin, etc. to hold everything in. (Keep it somewhere you’ll remember and where it’s easy to grab on the fly. Some experts recommend keeping two separate kits — one in your home, and one in your car, in case disaster strikes when you’re not at the house. If you have the means, go for it!)
Master Disaster Plan List — Do All This Stuff!
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Leave a pair of shoes by the bed. They should be hard soled—not thin floppy slippers—and sturdy enough to protect your feet if you have to walk over or through anything sharp or hot. They should also be quick to get your feet into. Ideally slip-ons, velcro, self-contained bungee, etc., since dangling laces could become dangerous in an emergency.
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Find out where the main gas switch and electricity breaker are in your home. If you have to evacuate and can spare the few extra seconds, switch them off before you leave. This will help avoid explosions if the power supply is experiencing stops and surges, whether unplanned or planned.
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Determine the safest location to be in your home should an emergency arrive. This may vary depending on the type of emergency.
- Mentally map out a plan for what to do if a disaster hits when you are *not* at home: if, when, and how you will attempt to return home; who you will contact, etc. Create a back-up plan in case the main plan is not workable-
- If your household includes more than yourself, plan where and how you will all meet in the event of an emergency occurring at a time when you are not all together in the same place. Create a back up plan in case the main plan is not workable.
- Make an evacuation plan in the event of your entire town or city becoming no longer safe or habitable. Where will you flee to? How? Have a back-up option or two in case certain modes of transportation or routes are not available.
- Consider arranging with an out-of-area person in case you need to relocate for a longer period following a disaster.
- Keep your gas tank as full as possible at all times, and try to have an extra pre-filled gas can or two on hand in the car or in the garage.
- Back up all your important documents and information on a secure online platform. If you lose your hard-copy binder or it becomes damaged, this can be a lifesaver. There are many good options out there, although I personally recommend 1password, which in addition to being a top-notch password manager, allows you to encrypt and store any sort of document, scan, or photo. You’ll be able to access things like passports, contacts lists, and medical histories with the click of a few buttons and keystrokes, in case you need to put your life together after a major disaster.
- Download the Red Cross Emergency App. This can help connect you to important information in an emergency.
- Register with your country’s embassy whenever you travel abroad, even if it’s for a short time. This makes it easier for aid or evacuation efforts to locate you in the event of a disaster or danger.
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To help you keep track of your progress in preparing all this emergency preparedness stuff, you can use the Red Cross’s “How To Prepare For Emergencies” resource page. In addition to easy-to-follow planning checklists, it’s chock full of great advice and it’s well-organized and easy to navigate.
And don’t forget to call your city and state representatives and let them know that you support increased disaster preparedness as well as general infrastructure improvements.
Unfortunately, governments are often woefully underprepared. Take a look at these examples:
We need to let our representatives know that we value and expect measures that keep us all collectively better prepared and safer.
In the meantime, all we can do is make sure we are as well prepared as we can be. So stay safe out there!