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Disaster Planning
Being prepared for a disaster is one of the best ways to ensure the safety and survival of yourself and the ones that you love. The page exists in order to provide you with resources that will help protect you and your family in case of an emergency situation.
Tips for Being Prepared
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 requirement. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more.
- Store one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for food preparation / sanitation)*
- Keep at least a three-day supply of water for each person in your household
Store at least a three-day supply of nonperishable 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 supply kit:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
- Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
- Staples - sugar, salt, pepper
- High-energy foods - peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
- Foods for infants, elderly persons, or persons on special diets
- Comfort / stress foods - cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags
- Manual can opener
- Mess kits or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
- All-purpose knife
- Household liquid bleach to treat drinking water
- Sugar, salt, pepper
- Aluminum foil and plastic wrap
- Re-sealing plastic bags
- If food must be cooked, small cooking stove and a can of cooking fuel
Click here to read more about preparing Kitchen Items for a Disaster!
Assemble a first aid kit* for your home and one for each car. A first aid kit should include:
- First aid manual
- Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
- Two-inch and four-inch sterile gauze pads (four to six of each)
- Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
- Triangular bandages (three)
- Needle
- Moistened towelettes
- Antibacterial ointment
- Thermometer
- Tongue blades (two)
- Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
- Assorted sizes of safety pins
- Cleaning agent or soap
- Latex gloves (two pairs)
- Cotton balls
- Sunscreen
- Two-inch and three-inch sterile roller bandages (three rolls each)
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Non-prescription Drugs
- Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
- Antidiarrhea medication
- Antacid (for stomach upset)
- Syrup of Ipecac (used to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
- Laxative
- Vitamins
- Activated charcoal (used if advised by the Poison Control Center)