How to Put Together an Emergency Preparedness Kit

My husband and I live on the East Coast and being prepared for emergencies is an important part of our lives. Just in the past 3 years we have been hit by two hurricanes, one earthquake, one major blizzard, one tornado and several snow & ice storms.

Often times when these bad weather events move into our area, we lose electrical power, phone service and of course, all of our stores close down. We have learned over the years that we need to be prepared for these types of emergencies and we have put together our own Emergency Preparedness Kit.

Here is what we have in our emergency kit:

* one week supply of non-perishable foods + manual can opener
* one week supply of bottled water
* one week supply of OTC and prescription medications
* copies of bank statements & emergency paperwork
* cash money (dollar bills and coins)
* 5 surefire flashlights
* two extra warm blankets
* battery-operated lanterns with 10 packs of batteries
* extra keys to our car, truck, house, safety-deposit box, etc.
* emergency contact list (family phone numbers, doctors, etc.)
* solar charger (to charge up our cell phones and computers)
* basic first-aid kit
* battery-operated radio
* disposable cups, paper plates, bowls and utensils
* compact fire extinguisher
* flares, lighter and 4 packs of matches
* and a few other things

All of our emergency supplies are neatly packed inside two large Rubbermaid totes and we keep them readily available at the top of the stairs in our attic. Every 6 months we re-evaluate our supplies and refresh them as needed.

Are you prepared for an emergency? If so, what kind of supplies do you keep in your emergency preparedness kit?

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