Considering that hurricane season will be upon us in a few months and probably will be another bad year again and that the past year had severe tornadoes, fires, and floods in all parts of the United States, all of that shows that no one is safe from disaster. So it is probably a good time to start consider to put together a survival package for the family when disaster strikes. Even here in Winston-Salem, we are not immune. An ice storm that can knock out power to large areas for days on end like it did back in the winter of 2002-2003 is just as traumatic as being hit by a hurricane.
Survival preparation does not need to be like preparing for a nuclear war. Building bunkers and setting up a food stash for a year is a bit extreme. But there is a need to take care of yourself while local authorities and utility companies can re-establish livable conditions once again.
The rule of thumb for emergency situations is to have a three day supply of items on hand to address any need. These items include:
- Water , one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
- Food , at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
- Protein or fruit bars
- Dry cereal or granola
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Canned juices
- Non-perishable pasteurized milk
- High energy foods
- Vitamins
- Food for infants
- Comfort/stress foods
- Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First Aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
- Moist towelettes for sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Unique family needs , such as daily prescription medications, infant formula or diapers, and important family documents
- Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Such a kit can be put together for about $50-70 which is affordable for most people.
– Source: Ready.gov
It is also important to collect all important documents that provide identification, insurance information, and bank and other financial documents.
Payment options are bit more vague. As an economy highly dependent on plastic (credit and debit cards), you can never be certain to have access to an ATM or even to make a transaction at a hotel or store. Cash is still king in these situations with $500-1000 being the minimum. You will be surprised how quickly money will go when staying at a hotel waiting for the storm to blow over.
As well, such a kit should be portable enough to take on extended trips or vacations. When you are stuck on the coast with a hurricane bearing down on you, all you might have is what you brought with you.
The final item can not be put into a kit but it should be a standard item for any emergency plan. If a family or group becomes separated, have someone not in the immediate area designated as a contact person so that information and messages can be left with. For example, here in North Carolina we would pick Andrea’s sister as a contact person rather than someone in Winston-Salem who may be experiencing the same calamity as we are.