When a natural disaster or other emergency occurs, thousands of individuals are forced to evacuate their Lauderhill rental homes with very short notice. Have you ever thought if you would be able to easily pack everything your family will need to survive for several days? If you already have a 72-hour kit for your family, you don’t need to stress. You’re going to get everything you and your family needs, ready to go.
Following the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Ready.gov), every family needs to be prepared for disasters and sudden evacuations. You can have this by creating a basic disaster kit with appropriate essentials that will last at least three days. A 72-hour kit should have the basics like food, water, medicine, and other necessities. While many prepackaged emergency kits are available for purchase, most of them are expensive and usually do not include supplies that suit the particular condition of your family. The practical and less costly option is to create a 72-hour kit for you and your family or friends.
So how do you make an emergency kit? There are guidelines on how to create a basic emergency preparedness kit on Ready.gov. Find this list as a starting point for your family’s 72-hour kit. For example, you’ll need a way to store and carry your items efficiently and to keep the elements out. A couple of suggestions are to use a duffel bag, backpacks, or plastic bins. By then, you should guarantee that everything in your kit is secured in airtight plastic bags to keep them safe and dry.
Once you have a safe way to store and carry your emergency kit, you can start adding basic items like water and food. Ready.gov has a full list you can download and print. But a good rule of thumb is to have at least one gallon of water per person per day in your kit, plus a three-day supply of non-perishable food items for each person. When you want to add canned goods in your kit, don’t forget to add a manual can opener. Other primary survival supplies, such as flashlights, extra batteries, matches, or a lighter, a first aid kit, moist towelettes, and garbage bags, should also be included in your kit as well as any prescription medications or medical supplies your family might need. If you have free space, think about putting one change of garments and footwear for each person and a blanket or sleeping bag.
If the basics are in place, you can start adding items that are particular to your family’s circumstances. For instance, if you have infants or pets in your family, remember to include baby supplies and pet food in your kit. It may also be important to add things like feminine hygiene products, contact lens solution, or over-the-counter medications that are used regularly. Finally, you might consider adding copies of important family documents, identification records, and cash or traveler’s checks to your emergency kit. Just make sure that your cash and passports, along with any other essentials documents you need are kept in a waterproof case.
The most significant part of making a 72-hour kit for your family is to maintain it annually. It is crucial to check and remove expired food items and replenish them with new ones and update your kit as the necessities of your family change. Eventually, you’ll need to pick where to store your kit. You should choose a convenient and easy to access location, in case you need to move immediately. Make sure that everyone in your family knows where the kit is as a precaution. You might also consider making a smaller emergency kit for your car if something happens while you are away from home.
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