The recent earthquake incidents have left many of us shaken, pun completely intended. And while it may be easier to pretend they didn’t happen and hope that they don’t happen again, the more responsible response to a calamity such as this would be prepare.
There’s no need to feel overwhelmed. There are many resources online on the instructions we can give our children and household staff about what to do during an earthquake. But to start, you can start putting together an emergency preparedness kit.
Please mamas…don’t put an important thing such as this off, because the consequences can be devastating. There’s no need to leave room for regret later on.
Here is a list provided by RedCross to keep in your family’s emergency preparedness kit.
At a minimum, you should have the basic supplies listed below:
- Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
- Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
- Flashlight
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
- Cell phone with chargers
- Family and emergency contact information
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Map(s) of the area
- Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc)
- Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
- Two-way radios
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Manual can opener
- Additional supplies to keep at home or in your survival kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:Whistle
- N95 or surgical masks
- Matches
- Rain gear
- Towels
- Work gloves
- Tools/supplies for securing your home
- Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
- Plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Household liquid bleach
- Entertainment items
- Blankets or sleeping bags
We hope this information is useful to you! Please, put the preparation of this emergency kit on the top of your to-do list this week, or this month. We don’t know when the next earthquake will strike, and if its magnitude will be as forgiving as the last.
For more information on emergency preparedness, you may visit http://www.redcross.org/