The northeast has had its share of heavy storms in the past few years. Many of us have come to appreciate the need to be prepared. The time to prepare is in the calm before the inevitable storms that will come our way. Taking steps now to prepare and have some supplies ready is important. Once the announcement of a coming storm has been made it can sometimes be too late. Rushing out to the store and trying to fight your way through the lines of people trying to get supplies can take you away from family and other preparations that need to be done. By taking a few steps now you can have most of the supplies that you might need.
Supplies:
- Water: 3 days of water (1 gallon per person per day)
- Food: 3 days of food- non-perishable and easy to prepare. (You may not have a stove or oven to prepare heated items)
- Flashlights with batteries
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medications: 7-day supply for everyone in the home (be sure to check on supply several days prior to the arrival of the storm)
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Propane /gasoline
- Cell phone charger
- Emergency radio with batteries or Hand crank
- Baby formula and diapers
- Pet food and supplies
- Extra clothes
- Rain gear
It is also important to have all of your important family documents ready to go. (Licenses, passports, insurance cards) One of the most important may be the insurance cards in the event that there is damage to your home/car or person. Have a list of telephone numbers for your insurance carriers, Power Company, and emergency services. We rely on technology to supply us with so much of our information today that we forget that with no power our cell phone may only last a day or two. Having all the important numbers handy can save you time and energy. Arrange a schedule with friends and family for contact and check ins. Setting up a phone tree where everyone can get information on different people in the group. If you have a generator you should pull it out and test it. Be sure to run the generator for at least 15 min. Now is the time to find out if it is in need of repair, not when the storm is rolling in.