Do you have an emergency kit at home?

The first step in emegency planning is to consider your day-to-day routine and how a disaster would impact your ability to continue those routines. Putting together an emergency kit does not have to be complicated or expensive. An emergency kit should have enough supplies to last seven to ten days. It's also good to have a smaller to-go kit if you need to leave your home quickly. Having kits at work and in your car is also a good idea. To get you started, here are five things that are necessary to have in an emergency kit.   

Water  

  • 1 gallon per person per day   
  • ½ for drinking, ½ for cooking/sanitation   
     

Food   

  • Store food that's high in calories and has a long shelf-life.  
  • Meal replacement bars, canned foods and dry food items that don't need to be cooked.  
  • Make sure to include food you like to eat.   
     

Light source  

  • Avoid candles to minimize fire risk.  
  • Include safe light options like a battery-powered flashlight with extra batteries or a hand-crank flashlight.  
  • Lightsticks are a stable source of light that emit no flames or sparks, are inexpensive and portable.


Warm and dry clothes  

  • Include at least one change of clothing.  
  • If you get wet, it's important that you get dry as soon as possible because moisture pulls heat away from your body (wool or synthetic clothing that wicks moisture away from your body is recommended)  
  • To stay warm and dry, you can also pack extra blankets, a tarp or rain gear.  


First aid kit  

  • Include items for basic care like adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, scissors, tweezers and pain-relief medication.  
  • Make sure to include a supply of prescription and over-the-counter medications and other equipment specific to your needs.

 
After the five basics, what you stock in your kit is up to you. The information provided will give you several things you can add to your kit and some fun and easy ways to put them together, not only for your home but your car, workplace and school. The most important thing is to start.   

Additional Resources:   

For questions, please email SHA's Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability team at rcst@seattlehousing.org.