September is National Preparedness Month. This year, you already may have a head start on the emergency kit you’ve been meaning to make, thanks to that pantry full of shelf-stable food you bought at the start of the pandemic.
Now that you may be back to a more normal shopping routine, you can repurpose many of those items into a grab-and-go emergency kit to carry you through the next windstorm, power outage or even an earthquake.
In flip-top plastic storage boxes, gather essentials to sustain your family for at least three days without utilities:
- Ready-to-eat food: pop-top soup, granola bars, tuna pouches, peanut butter, crackers and, if you have furry friends, pet food
- Water (one gallon per person, per day)
- Medicine (in original bottles)
- Cash (smaller bills). Cards and ATMs won’t work if the power is out
- Sleeping bags in case you need to sleep in the car
- Phone charger for the car
- Change of clothes and shoes
- Personal care items, including toilet paper and baby wipes
- Flashlight
- Basic first-aid kit
Keep your storage boxes in the hall closet – quick to grab if you need to get out fast – and be sure to use and replace your food, water and medicine every six months so they stay fresh.
From Pemco newsletter.
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