Fall is in full swing and winter well on its way and with both comes the potential for bad weather. One of the best ways to save money on insurance is to be ready for those emergencies. One of the many ways you can do this includes taking an inventory of what you have and find out what you need. One of the easiest ways to start is to have a 72 hour emergency kit on hand with items to help fill your basic needs, food, water, light and sanitation.
It is recommended that each person in the household have 3 gallons of water a day half of which is for drinking water and half for cooking, sanitation and so forth. For each individual a diet of at least 2300 calories needs to be provided. The most space and resource efficient method to provide for your loved ones generally involves using meal bars. These can be purchased from sporting stores or any other place that carries sports or energy bars. The more nutritionally balanced the better.
Next is light; have several flashlights ranging from small to large and the batteries to power them. Lanterns are also a good idea. Gas or oil powered lanterns are available, but you need to be extra careful with the storage and usage of the fuel because of fire danger. Everyone in the family needs to be aware of how to safely use and care for these items as well.
The next concern is heat; thermal emergency blankets are a good idea since they are easy to use and easy to store. Extra warm and sturdy clothes are also essential. Have at least one set of clothing, including underwear and coats available for each person in your family or home. When the power is out other types of heaters may need to be used such as wood or kerosene. Once again everyone should know the dangers and proper care of these items.
Sanitation is the last basic need that we will cover for now. Wet wipes and waterless shampoos and soaps are a great idea for basic everyday hand washing and bathing to help conserve water in the short run. Toilet paper and other essential paper products should be thought of as well. A portable toilet is also a good idea as well as liners and a place to safely dispose of the waste should be prepared for as well.
These are just a few things you can do to help you and your loved ones prepare for any emergency. Look into it and you will see how this small amount of planning could really be a life saver someday.
Here at The Hoffman Agency, we know that emergencies happen whether or not you are prepared. Please feel free to give us a call for more info on how you can protect your family from such unexpected emergencies.
