As holiday shopping season and colder weather approach, consider buying items for a winter storm kit.
Creating one is a stress saver, says Nick Crossley, assistant director of the Johnson County (Kan.) Department of Emergency Management. He remembers how people fumbled around inside their dark, powerless homes after an ice storm in January 2002. About 350,000 households were without electricity in the Kansas City area.
“It took everyone by surprise,” he says. “Not too many people were prepared.”
Many sought shelter with family and friends or in a hotel. But with a kit of supplies, Crossley says, getting around during a power outage should be less of a struggle. And it’s something easy to grab and take if you’re displaced or traveling on the road in bad weather.
The first step is lighting the path to the kit by putting a flashlight in an easy-to-find, easy-to-remember location. Crossley recommends placing one on top of the refrigerator or in a kitchen cabinet next to extra batteries. As a backup source of light, candles and matches should be in the same spot.
Assemble a storm kit in a large plastic container that has a tight lid. It should be stored in the basement or a closet where it’s cool and dry.
To spread out the expense of the kit, which will cost at least $200 for everything, buy one category of items at a time. The different types of items include first aid supplies; tools; food and water; bedding and clothes. (Read on for a list of recommendations.)
Don’t forget special items for infants, such as formula and diapers, and for adults, such as prescription medication.
According to Kansas City Power & Light, there are other considerations for your home in case of a winter power outage:
– Surge protectors can safeguard appliances and electronics.
– Cordless phones and automatic garage door openers work only with electricity. Keep a standard phone as a backup and learn how to open garage doors manually.
– If you depend on electrically powered medical equipment, ask your doctor about emergency battery back-up systems.
Winter storm kit
– Tools and supplies:
– Flashlight
– Weather radio
– Battery-powered or wind-up clock
– Extra batteries
– Candles
– Matches in a waterproof container
– Non-electric can opener
– Plastic utensils and paper cups and plates
– Screwdriver
– Duct tape
– Wrench
– Non-cordless phone
– Bedding and clothing:
– Blankets and/or sleeping bags
– Hats
– Gloves
– Extra socks
– Thermal underwear
– Water-resistant boots
Water and non-perishable food:
– One gallon of water per person per day (at least a 3-day supply)
– Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
– High-energy foods such as peanut butter, crackers, cereals, granola bars and trail mix.
– Vitamins
– Comfort/stress foods such as cookies, hard candy, instant coffee and tea
First-aid kit:
– Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
– Sterile gauze pads (2-inch and 4-inch sizes)
– Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
– Triangular bandages (3)
– Roller bandages (3 each of 2-inch and 3-inch sizes)
– Scissors
– Tweezers
– Needle
– Moistened towelettes
– Antiseptic
– Tongue blades
– Thermometer
– Petroleum jelly
– Latex gloves (2 pairs)
– Safety pins
– Medications
