If you live in an area prone to seismic activity, it’s vitally important that you have some earthquake preparedness kits in your house or in your car so that you’ll have emergency supplies if you ever need them. Even if you don’t live in an area that is prone to earthquakes, you might want to create a form of earthquake preparedness kits or basic disaster survival kit to be used in case of tornados or other types of natural disasters.
How Long Should Earthquake Preparedness Kits Last
Ideally, your earthquake preparedness kit should contain enough supplies for you and your family to survive for a period of up to three days. Beyond the basic considerations of food and water that are physically necessary for survival, you will also need a few additional items to help you make it through the aftermath of an earthquake. If you believe the situation may last longer than that from previous knowledge or history from your area, that would be the main factor for how long the earthquake kits should last. There are kits available for 5 days or you can purchase multiples of 3 or 5 days. One of the considerations should be how many adults that there are in the group to carry the earthquake kits if needed. Personally I would always look to have more kit than less. You may need to survive at home for a few days then possibly travel to a safe zone. In that case you could break down the kit that you have between members of the party if required.
Essential Lighting for Earthquake Preparedness Kits
One of the first things that you’ll need is some sort of light source in case the electricity has been knocked out in your area. Since you’re going to want to make sure that your light will work when needed, your best bet is to choose an LED flashlight or lantern since they have a drastically reduced energy usage and will keep a charge longer in storage than most standard flashlights. Test any LED flashlight that you have every few months to make sure that it still works, and if you’re using an LED lantern that has multiple lighting modes then you should take the time to test every one of its modes.
Multitools Essentials for Earthquake Emergency Kits
Another essential piece of equipment for earthquake preparedness kits is a multi-purpose tool that has knife blades, pliers, screwdrivers, and even saw blades and can openers in it. Be sure to store your multi-purpose tool with your LED lantern or LED flashlights so that you can find it quickly once you’ve located your light source. You’d be amazed at how useful a multi-purpose tool can be after an earthquake, and you may even find uses for it that you’ve never considered.
First Aid Essentials for Earthquake Emergency Kits
Also in your earthquake kit should be a fully-stocked first aid kit so that you can treat any injuries that might have occurred during the earthquake. Make sure that you have common items such as blankets, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer with your first aid kit so that you can cover basic needs and provide warmth and sanitation for anyone who is suffering from shock as well.
Family Essentials for Earthquake Emergencies
Other useful things to include in your earthquake kit include enough money or traveler’s checks to be able to meet any monetary needs that you might have in case the banks are closed due to the earthquake. You should also have a safe with copies of any important documents that you don’t want to be lost or damaged in an earthquake, as well as clean clothes for both warm and cold weather so that you and your family won’t be forced to wear the same clothes for several days in a row.
Make sure that you check the expiration dates on any food or medicine that you keep in your earthquake kit, and change out any stored water that you have every few months. This will prevent you or your family members from getting sick due to expired food or stale water.
Essential Family Rehearsals for Earthquake Emergency Kits
Preparing earthquake preparedness kits is an important activity that should be done as a family to ensure that everyone knows how to use the items inside and where to find it if an earthquake occurs. Being prepared for a disaster may very well save a person’s life and it may very well be one of your family members that takes the initiative to prepare this or use this kit to come to your assistance.
