• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

This list is not comprehensive, and it is not meant to be. It's simply a place to start -- a small first step toward preparedness. Have you made that step?


The Next Step: Longer Term Food Storage
Once you have prepared for a short-term natural or man-made disaster, your next step should be to set back a modest supply of food and water -- enough to last your family for a month or longer in case of food and supply shortages. Not too long ago, it was common for families to have a garden and can their own food for the winter months. With the conveniences of modern living, we've gotten away from that level of self-sufficiency and preparedness. It's not unusual these days to only have a week's worth of food in the home. 

One free resource that makes figuring out how much food you need to have for YOUR family is the Food Storage Analyzer from Emergency Essentials. Based on USRDA guidelines, it allows you to figure out the calorie and nutrient content of virtually any food in your pantry -- freeze  dried, dehydrated, canned, dry grains and legumes, even MREs or "just add water" Mountain House meals. It securely stores your information, so you can use it as a tool to plan future food storage purchases, which can be done with just a few clicks.

For a limited time, Emergency Essentials is offering a free $10 gift card for trying out the Analyzer and reviewing it on you own blog or website. It's a great tool that will aid your family's preparedness. I encourage you to try it out!!