What Emergency Supplies to Have

This story hit home since my youngest likes in Park Slope/Brooklyn and my wife wasn there when Sandy hit. Re3ally important to have cash and supplies to get through please protect yourloved ones as well as you!

What Emergency Supplies to Have

We at Princeton Capitol hope that your loved ones on the East Coast are staying warm and are safe. Here in California, we have our own unique natural disasters. How many of us have jokes about the four seasons: floods, mudslides, earthquakes and fires?
We also can get extreme storms that knock over trees and, in some parts, heavy snow and ice.
We’re going to start a new series on how to prepare for Mother Nature as well as what to do if you’re caught in a natural disaster. Please comment if you have any particular area that you’d like us to address.

Water

You should keep at least six months of drinkable water, and rotate it regularly. Those large jugs of water can be used to water plants or cook pasta and rice.
The government guideline is one gallon per person per day, three days minimum. But as we’ve seen, sometimes the power stays out for a week, and water can be turned off for just as long.

Food

Think about food you can eat easily if you don’t have any power. And always keep a manual can opener around. Remember, no electricity means the electric can opener won’t work. Many soup cans have pull tops, but always double check.
Don’t ever try cooking indoors with a camping stove or bring the barbecue into the house as the carbon monoxide is deadly.

Flashlights

At least one per person, and have lantern style ones in major rooms like the kitchen and bathroom. Have extra bulbs. Some people like candles, but there is too much of a risk of fire using candles. You might accidentally leave one burning.

Extra Batteries

Have batteries for your flashlights, lanterns, radios and your cell phone. There are batteries out there now that can recharge your cell phone. Have at least two per cell phone in case your power is out for over a week.

First Aid Kits

What should be in your kit?
The Red Cross recommends:

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

Extra blankets

Especially in the winter, you want to be able to stay warm.
What else do you keep on hand?