The Ultimate Household Emergency Kit – Here in Arizona it’s wildfire season and Monsoon is right around the corner. Emergencies can rage from a long-term loss of power to serious weather-related events like floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. If you have young children, I would add to this list, comfort or security items like a small teddy bear, cherished blanket, or a duplicate of their favorite toy.
In an emergency, it pays to be prepared—and for homeowners, that means having the essentials readily accessible at a moment’s notice. Keep your emergency kit stocked with these necessities:
- Bath Tissue
- Battery-powered smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, plus extra batteries
- Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio with tone alert, plus extra batteries
- Blankets
- Candles
- Disposable Cell phone with charger adapter and extra battery
- Compass
- Copies of important family documents
- Extra shoes
- First-aid kit, first-aid book and over-the-counter pain medications
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Flint, lighter or waterproof matches to start fires
- Garbage bags
- Hand-crank light with solar charger
- Household chlorine bleach
- Laminated area map
- Landline phone that operates without electrical power
- Manual can opener
- Manufactured fire logs or firewood, for heating and cooking
- Medications
- Moist towelettes
- Multi-tool or Swiss Army knife
- Non-perishable food for at least 10 days
- One gallon of water per person per day for at least 10 days, for drinking and sanitation
- Paper towels
- Paper and pencil
- Pet supplies
- Plastic ties / Zip-ties
- Copies of medication prescriptions
- Sleeping bags
- Soap
- Special needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities
- Warm clothing, including gloves, hand warmers, hats and socks
- Whistle to signal for help
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
For more information on preparing for emergencies, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website at www.fema.gov, or the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org.
