Be
Prepared By Grandpa Chuck
Over the weekend my
thoughts came back time and again to the victims of two recent hurricanes that hit
Florida.
Most of know what we
should have available if disaster hits. The Red Cross, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security
have told us time and again. Sound like a lot
of work? Not really and if needed it will pay
off in diamonds for you and your family to have these items available.
The basics to have on
hand are items such as Water, Food, First Aid Kit, Non-Prescription Drugs, Tools and
Supplies, Important Documents, and Cash.
I would like to share
how we built up the items on the list:
Water – Stop at
Wal-Mart and pick up at least a case of 8 ounce bottled water. Having small bottles of water we can drink them or
use them to wash up. Shelf life for water is
about 6-months.
First Aid Kit –
Rite Aid or Walgreen’s has them at a good price.
An extra box of Band-Aids and first aid cream will come in handy too. Bug repellant and a bug sting kit.
Non-Prescription Drugs
–Items such as Aspirin and non-aspirin pain reliever, cough syrup, antacid, and sinus
medication. You can pick them when you get the First
Aid Kit.
Tools and Supplies – Two flashlights, battery operated radio, extra batteries, paper towels, baby wipes or handy wipes. You can find these items at the local Dollar Store.
Important Documents - We
also gathered up the following and have them in a zip lock bag: COPIES of birth certificates, immunization
records, and insurance policies.Cash
- Keep some cash on hand for when the poower goes out and the Debit and Credit Cards
can’t be used at stores and gas stations. If
you don’t want to keep cash lying
around be sure to stop at the first ATM machine you find when an alert is issued by a
government agency.
The above list of items
except the water is stored in a backpack. The
backpack and water are in the trunk of my car.
Items such as
prescription drugs, passports, extra paper towels, toilet paper, extra clothes, jackets
and sweatshirts can be added later if we have to leave for any reason.
If you have to leave
your home be sure and take items such as sanitary products, food, etc. You can put these items in a cloths basket and put
it in the trunk. Keep in mind family members
with special needs or requirements such as infants or those that might be disabled.
If you have children put some activity books , colors, and plain paper in the backpack.
These are the basics. Simple to obtain and have available if needed. Don’t delay any longer in making these basic emergency preparations. Be Prepared!