Make a Disaster Kit and a Family Plan 

Release Date: June 8, 2007
Release Number: FNF-07-030

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Now is an excellent time for residents to make sure their home has a disaster supply kit and a family communication plan. FEMA is urging everyone to act now to assemble their family's emergency supplies and develop a plan.

Every home should be stocked with a supply kit. When storing the supplies, keep them easily accessible in case of an evacuation. Keep a full tank of gasoline your car. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and may be unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family to stay together and reduce highway congestion and delay.

Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Locate the safest areas in your home. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your own home but another within your community. Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These routes should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles. Choose a meeting location. Should your family become separated during a storm, have a pre-determined rendezvous point at which everyone can rejoin the family.

Make sure each member of the family has contact information for family members, work and school, meeting locations and emergency services. Choose an out-of-town contact who family members can call to let them know where they are, especially if the family is separated. Everyone should know this contact's phone numbers. After a disaster, it is often easier to make a long-distance call than a local call from the disaster area.

Visit www.fema.gov and www.ready.gov for a thorough look into disaster preparedness and a more detailed list of emergency supplies. Also, www.ready.gov/kids is an excellent resource for information on how to involve children in the process of assembling the family's disaster supply kit. 

A Disaster Supply Kit should contain the following:

Water - at least one gallon per person for three to seven days
Food - at least enough for three to seven days: non-perishable packaged or canned food; juices; foods for infants or the elderly; snack food; non-electric can opener; cooking utensils; fuel; paper plates and plastic utensils
Maps
Blankets and pillows
Clothing - seasonal, rain gear, sturdy shoes
Medical supplies - first aid kit, medicines, prescription drugs, a spare set of eye glasses
Special Items - for infants and the elderly
Toiletries - toilet paper, hygiene items and plastic bags for sanitary disposal
Moisture wipes and anti-bacterial hand sanitizer
Flashlight - extra batteries
Radio - battery-operated and NOAA weather radio
Cash - (Banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods.)
Important documents - in a waterproof container: insurance, medical records, bank and credit card account numbers, birth certificates, social security card
Keys 
Toys, books and games
Tools
Pet care items: proper identification, immunization records, ample supply of food and water, a carrier or cage, medications, muzzle and leash

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Friday, 08-Jun-2007 14:39:25