Emergency Preparedness

Whether it's a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake, or a man made disaster like war, every home can take action to be prepared. This post is not complete but a beginning. There are many, many resources on the Internet and government websites as well.

If you see that I should add something to this list, please comment or send me an email and I'll edit this post.

First of all, every home should have a three day supply of bottled water. That's enough water for each family member for three days and that adds up to a lot of water. The number that comes up most is 4 liters of water per day per person.
Tip: when you finish a bottle of bleach, just fill it up with tap water for emergency use. That water can be used for cleaning or flushing if need be. If it is pure bleach, the water can be boiled and it will become potable. If it has soap in it, do NOT boil, use it only for cleaning or flushing.

Non perishable food supplies, also for three days.
Canned goods: fish, fruit, veggies, beans, I also love to have stuffed grape leaves
Dry goods: cereals, crackers, nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, cookies or other comfort foods
Other canned goods: peanut or other nut butters, tahini, jams, honey

Here are some other supplies you should have on hand:
Flash lights plus extra batteries and/or candles
Baby supplies: formula, cereal, diapers, wipes 
Medications: over the counter pain medicine as well as a reserve of prescription meds
Feminine hygiene products
Wipes 
Battery operated radio plus extra batteries
Blankets
Sturdy shoes (there can be a lot of debris to clean up after a disaster) and work gloves
Toys or stuffed animals for kids (crayons and paper, cards etc), games
Books, both spiritual and other, include for each family member. 


First Aid Kit:
Adhesive tape
Gauze
Bandaids
Meds (both Rx and over the counter)
Alcohol
Scissors
Soap

Family Papers:
Have a list of all doctors and phone numbers
Have all medical insurance cards or copies
Passports, ID cards
Cash

Family planning: 
It's possible that not everyone will be home in a disaster. So be sure everyone in the family has an out of town number for where to check in, in case phone lines are down or busy.

Make sure that children are prepared with what to do or where to go in the event of an emergency.
In Israel:
Kids who could be home alone in Israel should know where gas masks are stored.
Know where your closest bomb shelter is and make sure it's either unlocked or that you have a key!

Many sources teach that you should have a To Go Bag of supplies that are packed in case you need to evacuate suddenly. That's another list which I'll post later.