Disaster Supplies Kit

There are six basics you should stock for your home: water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items. Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to carry container.  Possible containers include a large, covered trash container, a camping backpack, or a duffle bag.

Water

• Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more.
• Store one gallon of water per person per day.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food preparation/sanitation).

Food

• Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of Sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:
• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
• Canned juices
• Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
• High energy foods
• Vitamins
• Food for infants
• Comfort/stress foods

First Aid Kit
Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car.

• Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• Assorted sizes of safety pins
• Cleansing agent/soap
• Latex gloves (2 pairs)
• Sunscreen
• 2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• 4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• Triangular bandages (3)
• Non-prescription drugs
• 2-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• 3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Needle
• Moistened towelettes
• Antiseptic
• Thermometer
• Tongue blades (2)
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant

Non-Prescription Drugs

• Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid (for stomach upset)
• Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
• Laxative
• Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)

Tools and Supplies

• Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
• Emergency preparedness manual
• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Cash or traveler's checks, change
• Non-electric can opener, utility knife
• Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
• Tube tent
• Pliers
• Tape
• Compass
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic storage containers
• Signal flare
• Paper, pencil
• Needles, thread
• Medicine dropper
• Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
• Whistle
• Plastic sheeting
• Map of the area (for locating shelters)

Sanitation

• Toilet paper, towelettes*
• Soap, liquid detergent
• Feminine supplies
• Personal hygiene items
• Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
• Plastic bucket with tight lid
• Disinfectant
• Household chlorine bleach

Clothing and Bedding

• Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person
• Sturdy shoes or work boots
• Rain gear
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Hat and gloves
• Thermal underwear
• Sunglasses

Special Items

• Remember family members with special requirements, such as infants and elderly or disabled persons

For Baby

• Formula
• Diapers
• Bottles
• Powdered milk
• Medications

For Adults

• Heart and high blood pressure medication
• Insulin
• Prescription drugs
• Denture needs
• Contact lenses and supplies
• Extra eye glasses

Entertainment

• Games and books
• Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book (PDF)

Important Family Documents

• Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
  • Will, insurance policies, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds
  • Passports, social security cards, immunization records
  • Bank account numbers
  • Credit card account numbers and companies
• Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
• Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version of the supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
• Keep items in airtight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply every six months so it stays fresh. Replace your stored food every six months. Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year. Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.
• Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications.

Disaster Supplies Kit Checklist for Pets

• Food and water for at least three days for each pet, food and water bowls and a manual can opener
• Depending on the pet, litter and litter box or newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach
• Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container, a first aid kit and a pet first aid book
• Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets cannot escape. A carrier should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie down. Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours. Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets. These may require blankets or towels for bedding and warmth and other special items
• Pet toys and the pet's bed, if you can easily take it, to reduce stress
• Current photos and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated, and to prove that they are yours
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems and the name and telephone number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.

Additional Supplies for Sheltering-in-Place

In the unlikely event that chemical or radiological hazards cause officials to advise people in a specific area to "shelter-in-place" in a sealed room, households should have in the room they have selected for this purpose:

• A roll of duct tape (10 millimeters thick) and scissors
• Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit shelter-in-place room openings

Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide buildup for up to five hours. Local officials are unlikely to recommend the public shelter in a sealed room for more than two-three hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes with time as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps into the shelter.

NOTE: Always keep a shut-off valve wrench near the gas and water shut-off valves in your home.

The text on this page is in the public domain. We request that attribution to this information be given as follows: From "Disaster Supplies Kit." developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross.