Basic Emergency Supply Kit
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You may need to survive on your own
for 72 hours or longer after an emergency. This means having your own
food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for
at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on
the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone
immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In
addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage
treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or
longer.
Recommended Items to Include in a Basic
Emergency Supply Kit:
□ Water,
one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for
drinking and sanitation
□ Food,
at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
□ Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with
tone alert and extra batteries for both
□ Flashlight and extra batteries
□
First aid kit
□ Whistle to signal for help
□
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting
and duct tape to shelter-in-place
□ Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal
sanitation
□ Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
□ Manual (not electric) opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
□ Local maps
□ Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger
Additional Items to
Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
□ Prescription medications and glasses
□ Infant formula and diapers
□ Pet food and extra water for your pet (Your
pets should have their own Emergency Kits)
□ Cash or traveler's checks and change
□ Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies,
identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable
container. You can use the
Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) - PDF, 277Kb) developed
by Operation Hope, FEMA, and Citizen Corps to help you organize your
information.
□ Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information
from Ready.gov.
□ Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional
bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
□ Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long
pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a
cold-weather climate.
□ Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine
parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant.
Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of
regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use
scented, color safe, or bleaches with added cleaners.
□ Fire Extinguisher
□ Matches in a waterproof container
□ Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
□ Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
□ Paper and pencil
□ Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Find out how to keep food safe during and after an emergency by
visiting FoodSafety.gov.
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