I am avid when it comes to preparing for storms. Having lived in Oklahoma for so long, and being so close to areas devastated by Tornadoes, I saw first hand how people struggled after a storm. In the winter, we’d occasionally get a blizzard and be without power as well, once for over a week, and with three children, I don’t want to be caught unprepared.
Now that we’ve moved to New England, winter weather isn’t such a big deal, but when the hurricane came through a few months ago, I was ready. I’d stocked up on bottled water, medications, premium food – such as canned goods, a manual can opener, made sure all of the laundry was done and blankets were accessible.
Have you given any thought to what type of food to buy? I have people ask me from time to time, “What type of food do you need in a storm preparation kit?” Here are some suggestions:
- Bottled Water. How much? It is generally suggested 1 gallon per person, per day. You also want to fill up sinks and tubs, as necessary. Why? Some of you may be on well water, as we are, or be at risk for burst pipes, etc from your city. When we lose power, the water pump doesn’t work, so we lose access to our water. We need water in the tub to flush toilets, etc. in addition to drinking water, washing hands, brushing teeth, etc.
- Canned goods. Be sure you have a working manual can opener or cans with tabs. It won’t do you any good to have canned goods if you can’t open the cans 🙂
- Granola bars, power bars, protein bars, etc.
- Cereal – can use up milk you have on hand, then eat dry if necessary
- Peanut Butter & Jelly for sandwiches
- Bread
- Crackers
- Fruits
- Veggies – celery, carrots, broccoli, etc
- Baby Food or Formula for babies – make sure to allow extra bottles of water or buy pre-mixed for emergencies.
ugggh I haven’t gotten ready yet for winter and being prepared for going without power. These sound like excellents ideas, and so now I must get on it!
I lie on the Mississippi Gulf coast & almost eery year we have tropical storm hits or , at the least, scares. Usually they are nowhere near as bad as Katrina(I lost my home)but scares non the less. Many people lost their lives due to shelters not taking pets & now some shelters are. In Katrina my vets office flooded & 20+ dogs drowned. Please plan for your pets & not wait till the last minute because last minute options may not be the safe choice for you or your pet.
we keep the stuff handly when they say the tornado is headding thsi way
this is a very good list–I know how important this is after we lived through Hurricane Sandy–so preparation is key–thanks for sharing and bringing attention to this important subject
What a great list. We all need to have this in our homes because you just never know.
Great list! I need to put together a storm prep kit. We have a small one but I would like to expand it and make it more complete.
Great list. Guess I have never thought about this before and I should since I live in Minnesota 😉 LOL
Good info.