10 Items to Include in Your Emergency Kit

Last month, Hurricane Ida left thousands without power. Over the past year, wildfires in the West have forced residents to evacuate homes at a moment's notice. Sixteen months ago, a pandemic unexpectedly spread across the world, shutting down businesses and confining us to our homes.

These disasters remind us that we never truly know when a disaster is going to impact our lives.

With climate change increasing the frequencies of these disasters, it is more important than ever to be prepared. One important way you can do this is by having an emergency kit in your house.

After a disaster, you may need to survive on your own for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

The most essential part of your kit is several days’ supply of food and water for you, your family and your pets .

Here are 10 other items that you should include in your kit:

While it is important to have these supplies at home, you should also consider having a smaller emergency kit stored in your car or ready to grab if you are evacuated from your home and need to leave quickly.

Once you have your kit built, be sure to maintain it by replacing expired items and, each year, reevaluating your needs.

Having an emergency kit can prepare you to protect you and your family. Visit the National Preparedness Month on ready.gov to read more actions you can take this month, and all year round, to prepare for disasters.