By Lisa Danford
Summer storms might cause flooding or a power outage. To be prepared for all types of disasters, it’s important to have an emergency kit. Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency suggests you should be ready to care for yourself and your family for at least three days. When assembling supplies in an emergency kit, think about what you need to maintain your health, safety and independence.
Each person’s needs and abilities are unique, but you can take steps to put plans in place and prepare for all kinds of emergencies. Consider how a disaster might affect your individual needs or those of your family, and plan to be self-sufficient until help arrives.
What To Include
- Food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and manual can opener
- Water—at least one gallon per person per day
- First aid supplies
- Special items like eyeglasses or medicine
- Change of clothing and a blanket
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Battery-powered radio
- Waterproof matches
- Soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, or other hygiene items. You can add toilet paper or trash bags, too.
- Copies of important documents or contact information for people in your life. You can also add recent photos of your family, pets, or valuable items. Consider keeping these on a password-protected USB drive.
- Food, water and supplies for pets
- Comfort items like books or games
- Extra house keys and car keys
You can create a Smart911 profile at AlertHC.org. This allows emergency dispatchers to share important family and medical information with first responders.
Learn more about preparing for emergencies and how to create
your own plan at Ready.gov/Disability or HamiltonCountyOhioEMA.org.
