When you have a household or business emergency plan, make sure you have the tools and supplies needed for your plan on hand. This is your emergency kit.
Emergency kits don't have to cost much. You can use older, used or extra items around your house:
- Clothes with holes in them are enough to keep you warm and clean in a disaster.
- Old prescription glasses may not keep you at 20/20 now, but they are better than having no glasses at all.
- It's also great to pick up kit items at thrift stores, garage sales and buy one/get one sales at your grocery store.
A little bit at a time over a few weeks and you'll have a full emergency kit for your household at little cost.
Types of kits
If you can't make all kits, concentrate on the shelter-in-place kit and then the car kit: they will be needed more often. Your kit should reflect the needs of your family or business.
Shelter-in-place kit
Store this in the severe weather shelter in your home or business. It should have enough food, water and supplies for everyone for three days. Plastic totes make good dry storage for emergency kits.
Car emergency kit
This kit can be very basic and stored in the trunk or back of your car in a box or bag. It should have enough supplies to help you stay safe and healthy if you are trapped in your car for a day or so, for example if you are stuck in a snowbank during a blizzard.
Check your at last twice a year and change any items like food or medicine that may expire in the next six months. Replace any seasonal clothes for the weather season to come. When you change your clocks in the spring and fall, consider updating your emergency kits then.