You never know when natural disasters might strike, so it’s important to have a plan in place beforehand. We did not have a plan when the tornadoes devastated our town on April 27th, 2011. But because of that, we now realize how important it is.
There are 2 different emergency stockpiles you will need:
#1 – Stockpile for tornado warnings, power outages, etc where you remain in your home but in your safe place:
- Candles
- Matches or 2 lighting sticks (in case one doesn’t work)
- Flashlight with extra batteries or a LED or hand crank flashlight
- A corded home phone (if all you have is operation in your home are cordless phones)
- Important numbers – if you don’t know the numbers of your family and friends by heart (common in this day and age), keep a list of their numbers in your kit so you can use a landline to reach them.
- Water
- Snacks
- Emergency radio (I purchased this one on Amazon)
- Board games or crafts to entertain the kids
- Shoes (in case the tornado warning is in the middle of the night or you don’t know about it until the storm is upon you and you don’t have time to find shoes)
- Bicycle helmets (to put on the kids heads in a tornado warning)
#2 – Stockpile for long power outages where going to the store is next to impossible (such as in a blizzard or a flood).
The government recommends that you have at least 72 hours worth of items because it might take them that long to reach you in a natural disaster. Visit Ready.Gov for more info.
- Enough bottled water to last your family 3-5 days
- Enough easy to make food to last your family 3-5 days (tuna, canned goods, etc. Stuff you don’t have to cook)
- Enough food to last your pets for 3-5 days.
- Enough candles, matches and batteries to last 3-5 days
- Emergency radio (I purchased this one on Amazon)
- A corded home phone (if all you have is operation in your home are cordless phones)
- Warm blankets if your power is out for a while in the winter
- Medical information for each family member – The information should include chronic illnesses, allergies, and prescription medicine information such as name, dose, and frequency it should be taken.
- Cash – If the power is out in your town, ATMs and credit card machines will not work.
- Important numbers – if you don’t know the numbers of your family and friends by heart (common in this day and age), keep a list of their numbers in your kit so you can use a landline to reach them.
#3 – Emergency stockpile in the car
Stuck in Snow
If you live in an area where you might get stuck in the snow, here is what one of my readers keeps in her car: I keep a shovel, blanket, pillow, food, water (even though it may freeze I can warm it up with the warmers) and hand/feet warmers.
Stuck in Traffic
Make sure you keep snacks, drinks, and toys to occupy the kids should you get stuck in traffic for an extended period of time.
Emergency Evacuation
In case you need to evacuate your home in the event of a natural or chemical disaster, here are some items you should have with you:
- 72 hours worth of food and water
- 3 changes of clothing per person and an extra pair of shoes
- Food for your pets
- Cash
- Blankets (in case you have to sleep in the car)
#4 – More items for the home
If you want to take everything else further, here are some more items that you can have to make sure you are completely prepared for a natural disaster:
- Ladder to reach your roof to check for damage or to put tarps on it
- Tarps
- Chainsaw with oil
- Generator
- Plastic and duck tape (to seal your windows)
- Dry Ice – To put in your fridge and deep freeze. You will have to buy this the day of the storm though.
#5 – More tips from my experience
- Never let your gas tank fall below half a tank. The lines to get gas after the tornado were 3-5 hours long and gas stations ran out of gasoline.
- If a storm is coming and you have more than a few hours warning, make sure you have everything done in case you won’t have internet or won’t be able to leave your house for 3-5 days. This includes paying bills online, making deposits in the bank, etc.
- Invite friends into your home that don’t have an emergency kit or live in place that is not safe to remain in the event of a tornado (like a mobile home or even an apartment building).
- Check in with family and friends before the storm hits to let them know your location and your plans should you need to evacuate. That way they will know where to find you if you are unreachable.
- If you are under a tornado warning, head to safe place with a mattress or two off your beds to protect your family from flying debris.
- Make sure you put bicycle helmets on your kids heads, shoes on everyone’s feet and your money, identification and car keys in your pocket. And don’t forget your under garments! If your house is destroyed in the tornado, you’ll be glad you have all of this stuff on your person.
- If you are traveling in a storm, make sure one of your loved ones knows the route you are taking. If you are unreachable or injured, emergency responders will know where to start looking for you.
Feel free to add to this list!
If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series.
Chelsea says
Great tips thanks so much for taking time out to post them! My hubby is all about being prepared for a disaster!
Paula Bland says
My husband charged all the car batteries up before the storm and being we dont have a generator he made a light source by using the battery anyhow I thought that was pretty neat we could at least have one lamp on and run the radio . We had also purchased a camping grill and that was great for hamburger helper
Jean says
Don’t forget your workplace. Have extra food/water/supplies there too in case you can’t get home right away. We’ve even discussed hubby keeping a bicycle at work (25 miles from home) in case the roads are damaged (haven’t done this yet).
Also, an out of state contact person for the family members. The local lines may not work, but long distance may. We did this in the ’94 Northridge earthquake (CA).
Lourdes says
When Hurricane Irene hit I discovered the switch to keep water in the tub was broken so I emptied some of the big Rubbermaid-type storage containers and filled those up – left them in the tub. :)
Liz says
If you an electric stove, keep plenty of sterno on hand. You’ll also need a tripod. Place the sterno under the tripod and your pot on top & you can easily heat up canned food. I’ve already cooked bacon & eggs this way. It wasn’t quick, but it worked.
Luci says
With infants, if you are breastfeeding, add extra water to your supplies. If you are bottlefeeding, have ready mixed formula instead of the powdered. If the water supply has been contaminated, you don’t want to spend extra time sterilizing water to mix formula, and that’s if you have a heat source. So maybe disposible liners would be good too.
jennifer says
Water is essential. I always keep a few cases on hand for emergencies. I also keep plenty of paper plates, plastic cups & silverware. If you are rationing your water you won’t want to waste it on dishes. You can never have too many garbage bags!
Joell says
This may seem like a given, but make sure not to forget a can opener if your cans aren’t pop tops, and water proof matches, or you could store the matches in zip lock bags. Would be good to store the clothes/blankets in bags too.
kandi v says
Have copies of important papers too. After Katrina, alot of people couldn’t prove that they owned the home or had insurance for a long time. Also, we keep pictures of each family member with important information attached in each kit. You might need to show what your child looks like or what your spouse looks like if you can’t find them (another big problem during Katrina). it also helps first responders make family connections if you aren’t able to communicate due to injury.
Jennifer Dunbar says
I would like to add: For those people that are on medications that are vital to their heath (such as blood pressure or heart medication) then they should keep a small supply in their emergency kit.