It is critical to prepare for all types of emergencies (severe storms, house fires, etc.) before they strike. Your household should have an emergency supply kit on hand that contains resources to sustain you and your family if you must evacuate your home abruptly due to an emergency or must shelter in your home for an extended amount of time. Each kit should be in a bag/container/luggage that holds your needed items and is easy to move. Below is a list of items you should include in your kit. Your kit should also be customized to include any special items needed by household members. Ensure everyone in your household knows the location of your emergency kit.

• First Aid Kit
• Cash (power outages mean banks and ATMs may be unavailable)
• Battery-operated radio
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence
• 3-day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day, coolers for food and ice storage
• Fire extinguisher
• Blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothing
• Extra prescription medications, extra written copies of prescriptions, hearing aids or other special medical items
• Eyeglasses and sunglasses
• Extra keys
• Toilet paper, clean-up supplies, duct tape, tarp, rope
• Can opener, knife, tools
• Booster cables, road maps
• Special supplies needed for babies, older people or pets

Remember to change perishable supplies and water every six months.

For more information on building an emergency kit, visit:

 https://www.ready.gov/kit

Ready Kids website from FEMA

Don’t forget to prepare your pets for emergencies. To learn about pet planning and how to build a pet emergency supply kit, visit: 

https://www.ready.gov/pets