You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist or nervous Nancy to consider what you and your family would need if there was an emergency. A bad storm, an earthquake, a power outage — these are all things that can happen without warning, and can keep us isolated for hours, days, or even weeks. It’s wise, then to be prepared in case of an emergency, and to make sure your family has a plan of action in case something happens. Choose a safe, well-stocked place to meet, and make sure you all know where it is and how you’ll all get there. Also, make sure it’s stocked with all of the things you’ll need… to help, I’ve made a list of the seven things you need to have on hand in case of an emergency…
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If there’s an emergency, you’ll want to keep yourself updated, and televisions may not be working, especially if the power is out. Keep a small radio handy,so you can gets news and weather alerts, such as evacuation notices. Make sure to keep plenty of batteries for the radio on hand, too.
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Nearly everything electronic in your emergency kit will require batteries, from the Nintendo DSi you brought to keep the kids occupied, to the radio, lantern, and more. Be sure to have batteries in every size you’ll need on hand, and make sure you have a lot of them!
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This is the very first thing you ought to stockpile for your emergency kit. Watercan be used to drink, to clean wounds, and more. Stock as much as you can, at least one liter per day for every person in your household for at least two weeks, more if you can.
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It’s also very important to keep a stockpile of non-perishable food items, separate from what you normally keep in your pantry. If your items are canned, make sure you have a can opener on hand nearby, as well. And don’t bother to keep anything you or your family won’t eat — or anything that requires heating or refrigerating.
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Another great idea is to keep a stocked first aid kit on hand. Inside, make sure you have a month’s supply of everyone’s prescription medications, as well as the basics, like aspirin, bandages, anti-biotic ointment and other things that you have in yourmedicine cabinet. Keep this first aid kit with your other stock-piled emergency items, and away from the rest of your medical supplies.
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You’ll be needing flashlights (with batteries), a lantern, candles, and matches, so be sure to keep all of these things in your emergency stockpile as well. Keep enough light sources for a month, and count on needing them during the day and at night. In fact, these are good to have in case of a power outage, even if it’s not a major emergency.
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In a best-case scenario, you’ll never have to live in your basement or attic for a week or more, but just in case, you’ll want to make sure to have enough blankets and even pillows on hand, even if it’s the middle of summer. Blankets can be used for more than just keeping warm, too… they can be hung out of a window to alert authorities that someone’s in the home, as bandages if torn into strips, or as clothing in case you get wet.
If you have children, you may want to include a few small toys,some books, and some notebooks and crayons. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use your emergency plan or stockpile, but just in case, it’s brilliant to have a plan, and a stockpile, ready. What do you have in your emergency kit? What is your safety plan? Please let me know!
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