- Bottled water (about three gallon for each family member)
- Canned food and snacks. You should have enough to last you for three days because you never know what will happen.
- A non-electric can opener
- Toilet paper
- Some clothes set aside for each family member
- A first aid kit
- Blankets
- Books and games to keep busy
- Paper and pencil
- Medicine(s) you usually take
- Flashlights (A few battery powered lanterns are very helpful)
- Batteries (make sure that they are the right sizes for that you are going to use them for.
- A battery-operated radio
A generator is something that is not a necessity for everybody but it is nice to have. Here are a couple of things to remember if you get one.
- Make sure that it is working properly long before the first storm hits
- Do not leave gas in it's gas tank for a long time. The gas gets gummy and will clog up the generator. (You can get a stabilizer which will help the gas last longer)
- Do NOT hook the generator up to the house to power the whole house. If you want that done have a professional do it. It can cause serious harm to electrical workers trying to restore power to the area and could even cause a fire to your house.
- Make sure that your generator is secured to a stable object. It is a very popular item for people to steal when there is no power in the area.
