While there is no way to be absolutely sure that you have everything that you and your family will need in an emergency or unexpected event, it is important to try to keep certain items on hand that will be useful in many different situations. Being prepared is one of the best things that you can do to protect both yourself and your loved ones. In fact, it may make the difference between ensuring your family’s health and safety or not in an emergency. You can’t predict everything, but you can prepare yourself by ensuring that you at least have these seven different things in your home just in case a disaster happens. Here are just a few of the things that you need to keep in your home.
A Well-Stocked First-Aid Kit
While most small first aid kits include things such as disinfectant wipes and bandaids, there are other things that you should include such as surgical glue to stop bleeding until you are able to receive proper medical care. Your first aid kit should also contain things like non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, antacids, anti-diarrheal, and others. For a trully well stocked first aid kit, you should acquire a home AED
Flashlights
It’s important to have at least one flashlight in your home in case of emergencies, but it’s a good idea to have several of them in different parts of your home. In addition to the flashlights, it’s a good idea to keep extra batteries with them or include some that can be powered up through hand cranking or other methods.
Water
Humans and other animals require a significant amount of water to survive. While you may not be able to have enough on hand to get you through an entire disaster, it’s important to try to have enough to get you by until you are able to find other resources. It is suggested that you try to keep enough to supply each person in your family with a gallon a day for hydration and other purposes.
Entertainment
In an emergency, you may or may not have access to your regular sources of entertainment such as the television or video games, but it’s important to take care of your mental health. Some of the things that you could include for your children are books, puzzles, games, and art supplies that have the potential to keep them busy while still being easy to pack back up and take with you.
Masks
There are many different masks that are designed to help keep you safe from germs, dust, and other potentially hazardous things in the air that we breathe. Some of these include surgical masks, construction dust masks, or even gas masks. The type that will work best for you will depend on the current situation that you and your family are facing at the time.
Extra Batteries
Your flashlights are not the only things that you will need that use power in an emergency. Aside from keeping the regulars on hand such as AA batteries, it’s also a good idea to keep power banks that can power your cell phone. It’s important to ensure that you keep these power banks charged in case of an emergency.
Cleaning Supplies
During a disaster, it’s important to keep yourself and your environment clean to minimize the risk of infection or other complications. Some of the things that you should include are bleach, personal hygiene products, and moist towelettes. Chlorine bleach can also be used in small amounts to disinfect the water that you are using for drinking, cleaning, and hygiene.
No matter what you decide to keep in your home to prepare yourself, it’s important to ensure that you keep the items safe by storing them in waterproof containers so that you know they will still be good when they are needed. This may not be everything that you need to get through an unexpected situation, but you can learn more at Ready.gov. They have further suggestions based on your region and more that can help make sure you are as ready as possible for what may or may not come next in a disaster.