Hurricane season is upon us once again, and though the season has been relatively quiet so far, there’s no time like the present to prepare for the next big storm. Even though we usually receive plenty of advance notice when a tropical storm or hurricane makes its way toward the South Carolina coast, it’s important to be prepared ahead of time. The fact is while safety experts advise that we should always have an emergency kit put together for unexpected occurrences, many people don’t even have a basic first aid kit set aside for accidents. You might think that it’ll be simple to put together a kit when a hurricane threatens our coast, but the fact is that a lot of other people will be scrambling to do the same thing. That means stores sell out quickly when it comes to survival items like bottled water, canned foods, batteries, flashlights, and first aid items. To ensure your safety and self-sufficiency during and after a hurricane, it’s best to put together a hurricane preparedness kit now. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the things we think are most important to have on hand in the event of hurricane weather.
Immediate Needs
- Water—one gallon per person, per day, for at least three days
- Food—at least a three-day supply of non-perishable items
- Manual can opener
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- First aid kit
- Prescription medications
- Formula and diapers for infants
- Pet food and extra water
- Personal hygiene items
Other
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio
- NOAA weather radio
- Fire extinguisher
- Matches and candles in a waterproof container
- Documents such as ID’s, insurance policies, and bank account information
- Personal hygiene items
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape
- Cell phone with battery charger, solar charger, or power inverter
- Cash
- Garbage bags
- Moist towelettes and/or hand sanitizer
- Sleeping bag or blanket for each person
- Local maps
- Activities for children (books, games, puzzles, etc.)
What other items do you think are imperative for a hurricane preparedness kit? Let us know in the comments section!
