Our weather's unpredictable behavior is a good reason to be prepared. Every household should have a 72-hour disaster survival kit to face whatever natural phenomenon comes their way. We have to be prepared ahead of time to ensure our safety.
So before the hurricane season begins, it is wise to have the necessary things that will be vital for our survival. Scroll down and check out this list of what should be included in your hurricane survival kit.
Here's What Your Hurricane Survival Kit Should Look Like
Weather forecasting methods and equipment are getting better and better as time goes by. But still, we cannot be complacent enough for we all know that the weather's erratic mood might lead into something more devastating than expected. Katrina and Wilma will always serve as bitter reminders that preparedness is the key to survival.
So start early and avoid the rush at home supply stores, grocery stores, and places that are normally crowded when the warnings have been issued. You don't want to be caught in a situation where there's a shortage of commodity and then the people becomes an unruly mob that ransacks every store to fight over supplies. So before SHTF, prepare what you need. Below is a list of what should be found in your hurricane survival kit.
Food
You need to store at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food. Choose food that require no refrigeration, no cooking, or little or no water. You also have to choose food that the family will eat or it will just lead you to starvation. And avoid food that will make you thirsty. You can include the following food on your list:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
- Canned juices
- Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
- High energy foods
- Vitamins
- Food for infants
- Comfort/stress foods
Water
Water is always an essential component of survival. Store at least a gallon daily per person for 7-10 days.
Store it in a plastic container and avoid containers that will easily decompose or break. Don't forget to separate water for drinking and for sanitation.
First Aid Kit
First aid kits should always be included because safety is a must and not just an option. It is always better to be prepared and give immediate attention if a family member gets injured Assemble a kit for your home and for your car.
Don't ever forget to include non-prescription drugs. Below is a list of items that should be in your kit. Flashlights like the Hybeam Mini Tactical Flashlight can also be included in your kits. Get one here.
- Two pairs of Latex or other sterile gloves
- Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
- Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes
- Antibiotic ointment
- Burn ointment
- Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
- Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant
- Thermometer
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricants
And for non-prescription drugs, the following should not be neglected:
- Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Antacid (for stomach upset)
- Laxative
- Activated charcoal
Sanitation
Toiletries must always be added to your hurricane survival kit. Its importance is sometimes overlooked, but you need to be aware that cleanliness should be observed at all times. This is to avoid contamination or infection that might result into something worst if it's not taken care of. These items below should be included in your sanitation supplies:
- Toilet paper, towelettes
- Soap, liquid detergent
- Feminine supplies
- Personal hygiene items
- Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
- Plastic bucket with tight lid
- Disinfectant
- Household chlorine bleach
Clothing and Bedding
If you're going to pack clothing, be sure that it's a complete set of clothes – from shirts to underwear to pants to socks to shoes. Dirt and grime can become stuck in fabric, and I have to reiterate that cleanliness should always be observed in these situations.
That's why it's better to have at least one set of clothes prepared for the family. Here are the items that you need to prepare:
- Rain gear
- Towel
- Sturdy shoes or work boots
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Pillows • Hat and gloves
- Sunglasses
- Tent ( in the event that you need to bug out)
- Lawn chairs
Tools and Supplies
We always say that preparedness is a key to survival especially when SHTF. So having the necessary tools and supplies will lead you out or will get you through a hurricane survival situation safe and sound. Check out this list of tools that you need in hurricane survival kit:
- Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
- Emergency preparedness manual
- Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Cash or traveler’s checks, change
- Non-electric can opener, utility knife
- Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
- Tube tent
- Pliers or any multi-tool, like a swiss army knife or this Hoffman Richter Multi-Tool.
- Tape
- Compass
- Matches in a waterproof container or waterproof matches
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic storage containers
- Signal flare
- Paper, pencil
- Needles, thread
- Medicine dropper
- Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
- Whistle
- Plastic sheeting
- Map of the area (for locating shelters)
This Hybeam 2-in-1 Lantern and Flashlight comes in handy too. Get one here!
In preparing your hurricane survival kit, you must always remember family members that have special needs such as babies or elderly and disabled persons. We have to look out for them particularly in times of disastrous events.
For Baby
- Formula
- Diapers
- Bottles
- Powdered milk
- Medications
For Adults
- Heart and high blood pressure medication
- Insulin
- Prescription drugs
- Denture needs
- Contact lenses and supplies
- Extra eye glasses
Entertainment
You can play board games or games that don't require any batteries or electricity. You can also read books to entertain yourself. In times of distress, you need to relax and clear your mind so you can come up with a contingency plan if your primary survival plan doesn't seem to fall into its proper place.
Plus, this is also a good opportunity to have a family bonding. Who could have ever thought that a disastrous event can make your family ties stronger?
Miscellaneous
In the event of a hurricane, you need to keep your personal documents such as insurance policies, deeds, contracts, stocks, passports, social security cards, family records and whatnot in a waterproof portable container.
Tip: You need to have enough cash to sustain through a 2-week period. Banks and ATMs may not be open for extended periods.
Check out this video for more info about hurricane and disaster emergency survival kit!
We should all remember the famous expression “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. Nothing can bring you down, not even a Category 5 hurricane. That's if you're absolutely ready to handle a perilous circumstance. The ill-prepared will get nothing but despair. Our safety is what matters the most when SHTF. We might not prevent another Katrina or Wilma but we can always prepare for their unstoppable wrath.
Penny for your thoughts? Tell us what you think about this list by dropping your two cents in the comments below.
Looking for more storm safety tips? Check it here!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on January 13 13, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
After seeing the devastation in Houston, if you live in a flood zone, a blow up raft big enough to fit your family should be a must.
Flooding is with wind the most prevalent effect. Flooding means high level of contaminated water for miles and miles, and all kind of nasty stuff, in which you can be exposed during hours. A drysuit as those worn by divers in contaminated waters is a must have for preppers. Totally waterproof with sealed boots, gloves, neck/hood, tearproof. The hood can seal a face mask if needed. Few are really designed for this (lower quality, the watersport drysuits). Think about it (last flloods in Texas, New Orleans, or in other tropical countries) ..
Having gone through Mathew in 16, I learned a hole in my preps were the ability to make coffee without electricity.(I had food, water, etc). So I purchased a campfire percolator coffee pot and a gas grill. This year for Irma I was better prepared as I could make coffee, and the world just seemed like a better place after a cup of coffee in the morning. Sure there was debris to clean up, a roof to repair, etc. etc. etc. But, having the coffee made all the difference. After only 4 days without electricity we were still sitting pretty good, the mess was cleaned up, we even helped the neighbors. We got electric back in the afternoon of the 4th day, so we weren’t as bad off as others. The coffee pot is now my most prized possession, even more valuable than my axe (IMO).
I highly recommend a campfire percolator coffee pot for urban survival situations, (plus coffee grounds) it made life a lot better for my family and I. Just FYI, I am a bug in kinda guy, various reasons like pets and health, evacuation was not an option, so we stayed and weathered (LOL) the storm, camping out in our home.
As I got ready for my first hurricane season. I put my supplies into stackable bins that have a foam gasket. Light enough to pick up easily. These fit into both my car or canoe.
Also included are my canoes and life vest with reflective tape on the shoulders and high on the back. The parts that will be visable obove the water while floating. Whistle, knife, chem- light ect in pockets . The underside of my canoe is painted bright yellow, to use it as a signal.
Tent, sil-nylon tarp, sleeping bag, go into dry bags. Which will keep them dry in the rain. And add to floatation.
I have a background in SAR , emt/ paramedic. Airevac.
72 hour survival kits not here in Hawaii. The city and state governments say thats not enough. They recommend a 3 week survival kit because they say they won’t be able to get everything back up and running by then maybe. Yes you read that right 3 weeks maybe. And for those of you who don’t know this is a 98% democrat run state and most of the republicans in office are rinos. So that tells you alot about this state “Cali Pacific”.