What's In Your Emergency Kit?

What's In Your Emergency Kit?

[Announcer] This program is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Narrator] Disasters come in all shapes and sizes and can happen when you least expect them. Hurricanes happen in coastal states, earthquakes commonly strike the west coast, and tornadoes and floods frequent the Midwest and the Southern states like here in Atlanta, Georgia. But no matter where you live, disasters do happen and having an emergency kit is a key step in being prepared.

Imagine a natural disaster where you only have seconds to evacuate your home and can only take what’s already packed in your emergency kit.

CDC went into the streets to ask people what they would include in their emergency kits.

[Narrator] Do you have an emergency kit? If so, what’s in it?

[Woman 1] Yes, I have an emergency kit. It has some food items, snack items, dehydrated food, and water, and a flashlight.

[Woman 2] I do have an emergency kit. It includes…there’s some snacks in there, there’s water, there’s batteries, there’s a flashlight, it’s a hand crank flashlight. And there’s emergency contact information.

[Narrator] If you could have only one item in your emergency kit, what would it be? And why is this item important to you?

[Woman 3] I would think I would have a gallon or two of clean water, obviously because we can live days without food, but we can’t without water, and clean water is probably the first problem you’d have in any kind of emergency situation.

[Woman 4] My passport and visa because…and the driver’s license, of course. Because I am an international person and I require that for my identification and to legally remain here.

[Man 1] I think for, I guess on a bigger scope for, like, a natural disaster, for a home emergency kit, it would be important to have non-perishable foods and some canned foods stocked, and batteries, flashlights, maybe like a tarp, and blankets.

[Narrator] Depending on the type of disaster, roadways may not be accessible, grocery stores may be closed, and ATMs may not be working. Before you experience a disaster, put together an emergency kit that includes at least these basics:

• Water

• Foods that won’t spoil easily, like crackers and dried fruit

• A flashlight

• A first aid kit

• Extra batteries

• Your prescription medications

• Sanitation and personal hygiene items

• Copies of personal documents, like birth certificates and insurance policies

• Emergency contact phone numbers, and

• Extra cash

Remember, being prepared for an emergency starts with you.

Thanks for joining me today. For more disaster tips, follow @cdcready on Twitter or visit emergency.cdc.gov.

For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.