National Preparedness Month: Home Emergency Kit

9/19/2018 (Permalink)

An example of a Home Emergency Kit that the American Red Cross has put together.

It’s September, National Preparedness Month, and we at SERVPRO of Charlottesville are working to make sure that the homeowners of Charlottesville are prepared for storms that may come their way. In our last blog we reviewed the importance of a home emergency plan and some practical steps for building such a plan for your family. In the event of a storm, you should also have an emergency kit. You can buy a kit off the shelf, but if you build one yourself, you can tailor it to your home’s and your family’s needs.

Before you decide what to include in your kit, you’ll want to decide what you will put your kit in. The container should at least be waterproof and sturdy enough to sustain some storm damage. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you could use a plastic bin from a grocery store. Or you could choose a duffle bag designed for emergency kits. They are usually a bright color, very sturdy, and will have lots of pockets.

Once you have the container, in your kit you should have a copy of the emergency plan that you have created. This should include emergency contact numbers and who your emergency contacts are. It should also include a few generic things like:

• Portable radio with extra batteries
• Flash light
• First Aid Kit
• Gloves
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape
• Non-perishable food
• Manual can-opener
• Bottled water

You might also add more personal items. You can add important documents, cash and banking information. Make sure these are in a waterproof bag. You could also add a change of clothes and sturdy shoes. Of course, you can add more but you want to think about the weight of your kit. It should be light enough to carry if you need to evacuate.