Hurricane Preparedness 2020

6/15/2020 (Permalink)

Every household should have an emergency plan in place to make sure they are ready when disaster strikes. Although they don’t happen every day, you need to be prepared when they do.

The best way to be ready for a disaster is to make an emergency preparedness kit. This kit is full of essential items that you would need to survive for a minimum of 72 hours if disaster strikes. Some items you need to consider adding to your emergency kit include the following:

Water: Water is the key to survival! You will want to have 1 gallon of water per person, per day for at least 3 days.

Food: Along with water, in order to survive you need food. When packing food be sure to pack non-perishable items in your kit, such as canned foods. You should have at least enough food for 3 days, but more is always better.

Can opener: As noted above, canned food is non-perishable – so packing a can opener may not be as random as it seems.

Flashlight & Batteries: When the powers goes out, you don’ have lights. Having a flashlight and extra batteries will help brighten up the dark nights.

Battery Powered or Hand Crank Radio: Having one of these on hand will help keep you informed and updated during a storm or disaster situation.

A First-Aid Kit : Having one of these will help you be prepared if someone gets injured. Common items such as band aids, Neosporin, and gauze could really come in handy.

Matches or a lighter: Packing matches or a lighter along with an emergency slow-burning candles can be a good alternative to a flashlight. Having a candle gives you an additional light source during a storm.

Whistle: This is meant to be a signal for help; three blasts from a whistle is an international distress signal. The best place to keep this is on your keychain or taped under a table in your home for quick easy access.

Cell Phone with Chargers and a Backup Battery: In today’s age of technology, we rely heavily on our cell phones to communicate with friends or our family. Having a backup battery reassures you that even if the power goes out, you can still use your phone to communicate.

All of these items are essential to your survival during a storm or disaster. Every household should have an emergency preparedness kit ready before we ever have to worry about a storm. Make sure these items are placed in an easy-to-carry container and are labeled. Place your kit in a convenient location, one that is easy to reach when you need it.

In addition to these items, it’s also important to think about where you live and what other items you may need, such as medications, infant formula, diapers, wipes, bottles, and pet food/water.

Don’t forget, it’s never too soon to buy emergency supplies and prepare for a disaster. Natural disasters can happen at any time and affect people all around the world. You should prepare your home just like you are preparing your emergency kit. At SERVPRO of Bath, we have over 40 years of experience repairing damage if you need us. When disaster strikes, your focus should be on safety. We’ll take care of the rest.