September is National Preparedness Month, a time dedicated to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that can happen at any time.
This week’s focus is creating an emergency kit that includes supplies that meet the needs of everyone in your household for at least 72 hours. Your kit should include food, water and medical supplies items, at a minimum. Tools, clothing, bedding items and personal hygiene items are also recommended. Our Get a Kit guide has more detailed suggestions for building your own kit.
In addition to the basics, you may want to consider the following:
- Gather supplies to meet the unique needs of your family, such as supplies for pets, seniors and infants.
- To reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus or other viruses and the flu, the CDC recommends packing disinfectant wipes and spray, bar or liquid soap, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and multiple, clean masks for everyone age 2 or older.
Kit maintenance is also critical. You should review the contents of your kit each year to replace expired or damaged items as needed and update your kit as your family’s needs change.
Visit Ready.gov for more tips on building and maintaining your emergency kit.
