Include these items in your disaster emergency kit

Being prepared during an emergency or severe weather event can be a daunting task. Nothing can be done to stop a natural disaster or catastrophe once they happen, but assembling an emergency kit can make a huge difference during and after the event.

We’re going to teach you how to build an emergency kit for your home or business that could be helpful for you during a variety of scenarios like a severe thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, flood, extended power loss, extreme heat and more. You can use these tips on what to put in an emergency kit or disaster kit as a starting point and make changes to fit the needs of your family or business.

The basics to build a disaster emergency kit

Every emergency pack should start with these helpful basics:

• Supply of drinking water for at least three days
• First-aid kit
• Flashlight
• New batteries
• Matches
• Scissors
• Whistle
• Hand crank weather radio
• Blankets
• Paper copies of important documents and insurance policies
• Extra house keys
• Shelf-stable food that doesn’t need to be cooked for consumption (and don’t forget pet food)
• Manual can opener
• Work gloves
• Garbage bags
• Clothes
• List of medications
• Hand sanitizer
• Family and emergency contact information

Pro Tip: Store your basic emergency supplies in a plastic tote and backpack in an easy-access area so you’re ready to grab and go on short notice.

While most of these items are more suitable for a home emergency kit, a basic retail business emergency kit may include a hand crank weather radio, water, snacks and emergency blankets.

Add these items for your home emergency kit

To expand on your basic disaster kit, consider adding the following to be prepared for emergencies at home:

• Sleeping bags, pillows and extra blankets
• Tissues, disposable baby wipes and feminine hygiene products
• Travel toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Reusable water bottles
• Pet supplies like a collar, leash, bowls and a toy
• Week supply of medications
• Small generator to keep power running during an outage

You know your home and family better than anyone, so use this guide as a starting point. For example, if you have small children, adding some toys or coloring books to your kit may be a helpful distraction during a power outage or weather event. For adults, a deck of playing cards could go a long way to help pass the time.

Add these items to your business emergency kit

Not all emergencies happen while you’re at home! Business owners, here are some items you can consider for your emergency kit that go above and beyond the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandatory first-aid kits:

• Reflective vests
• N95 masks
• Additional first-aid supplies
• Glow sticks or emergency flares
• Large generator to supply power to the building during an outage

Anything you would consider useful during a power outage or weather emergency can be added to your business emergency kit.

Grange Enterprise Director of Risk Control Services Steve Pominville recommends working with a risk management team for help curating the right emergency kit for your needs. Steve says, “A risk management consultation can really help you pinpoint risks on a business level and geographic level. If you’re in a region that experiences heavy snowfall, your emergency kit may include supplies for melting ice and shoveling snow during an extreme or unexpected snowstorm.”

 

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 3 ways to stay on top of emergency preparedness at home

Families should have some form of disaster plan in place to make action simple when severe weather occurs. These three simple steps can help you stay prepared year-round:

1. Create a family emergency plan. Help every family member know what to do and how to find each other during an emergency at home. Give every member a specific job to speed things up.
2. Practice emergencies as a family. This is a great way to find any gaps in your plans. For example, did everyone remember to put on shoes? You’ll need those in a real-life emergency!
3. Check the contents of your disaster kit every 6 months. A quick run through your kit can ensure your documents are up-to-date and food has not expired. Bonus: If you accidentally packed your kit away in a corner of your basement, now is the time to make it more accessible to your family.

The best resources to have handy in case of emergency

Take the guesswork out of what to do during an emergency by having these resources handy. Consider downloading or printing these materials:

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has great safety information for natural disasters and severe weather. Learn how to plan for wildfires, floods, tornadoes and more. Plus, check out their mental health tips and guidelines for cleaning after a disaster.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers disaster information and assistance.
• The American Red Cross Emergency Communication Services page can help you connect to help during a disaster.

Coverages described herein may not be available in all states. Please contact a local independent Grange agent for complete details on coverages and discounts. If the policy coverage descriptions herein conflict with the language in the policy, the language in the policy applies. The material provided above is for informational, educational, or suggestion purposes and does not imply coverage. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO QUOTE ANY INDIVIDUAL PREMIUM RATE FOR THE INSURANCE HEREIN ADVERTISED. Grange Insurance policies are underwritten by Grange Insurance Company, Trustgard Insurance Company, Grange Indemnity Insurance Company, Grange Insurance Company of Michigan and Grange Property & Casualty Insurance Company*. Not all companies are licensed in all states. *Not licensed in Pennsylvania.