When a natural disaster or emergency happens, thousands of people are forced to evacuate their St. George rental homes with very short notice. Have you ever thought if you would be able to quickly secure everything your family will need to survive for several days? If you already have a 72-hour kit for your family, you don’t have to worry. You’re going to get everything you and your family needs, ready to go.
Based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Ready.gov), every family needs to be prepared for disasters and sudden evacuations. You can be prepared for this by creating a basic disaster kit with appropriate essentials that will last at least three days. A 72-hour kit should have the basics like food, water, medicine, and other necessities. While many prepackaged emergency kits available for purchase and ready to use, several of them are costly and usually do not include supplies that appropriate to the particular situation of your family. The easier and cheaper choice is to create a 72-hour kit for you and your family or friends.
So how do you make an emergency kit? There are directions on how to make a basic emergency preparedness kit on Ready.gov. Use this list as a basis for your family’s 72-hour kit. For example, you’ll need a way to store and carry your items efficiently and to keep the elements out. A few suggestions are to use a duffel bag, backpacks, or plastic bins. At that point, you must ensure that all of the items in your kit are locked in airtight plastic bags to keep them safe and dry.
Once you have a safe way to store and carry your emergency kit, you can start adding basic items like water and food. Ready.gov has a full list you can download and print. But a good rule of thumb is to have at least one gallon of water per person per day in your kit, plus a three-day supply of non-perishable food items for each person. When you want to add canned goods in your kit, make sure to add a manual can opener, too. Other necessary survival supplies, such as flashlights, extra batteries, matches, or a lighter, a first aid kit, moist towelettes, and garbage bags, should also be included in your kit and any prescription medications or medical supplies your family might need. If you have space, think about putting one change of clothes and shoes for each person and a blanket or sleeping bag.
If the basics are in place, you can start adding items that are particular to your family’s circumstances. For instance, if you have infants or pets in your family, keep in mind to add baby supplies and pet food to your kit. It may also be important to add things like feminine hygiene products, contact lens solution, or over-the-counter medications that are used regularly. Finally, you might consider adding copies of important family documents, identification records, and cash or traveler’s checks to your emergency kit. Be sure that your cash and passports, together with any other necessary documents, are kept in a waterproof container.
The most important part of making a 72-hour kit for your family is to maintain it annually. It is crucial to monitor and remove expired food items and replace them with new ones, as well as updating your kit as the circumstances of your family change. Eventually, you’ll need to choose where to store your kit. You should pick a convenient and easy to access location, in case you need to move immediately. Make sure that everybody in your family knows where the kit is, as a precaution. You might also consider making a smaller emergency kit for your car if something happens while you are away from home.
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