Create Home Emergency Kit
Why It Matters
When disaster strikes, you will not have time to shop. A prepared kit keeps your family safe during the critical first 72 hours.
Quick Guide
- 1
Gather your tools and materials
You'll need: basic tools. Materials required: Water (1 gallon per person per day for 3 days), Flashlight, Batteries, First aid kit.
- 2
Perform the create home emergency kit
Assemble or refresh your home emergency kit with water, flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies, and important documents.
- 3
Verify and clean up
Check that the work was completed correctly and clean up your workspace.
Tools & Materials
Materials
- Water (1 gallon per person per day for 3 days)
- Flashlight
- Batteries
- First aid kit
Community Tips
Store water in food-grade containers away from direct sunlight and rotate stock every 6 months, as tap water degrades over time even in sealed bottles. Pre-packaged water like Aqua Crest Emergency Water ($12-18 for a 6-pack of 1-gallon containers) eliminates rotation concerns and includes tamper-evident sealing.
A Streamlight ProTac flashlight ($35-50) outperforms dollar-store alternatives because its LED maintains consistent brightness for 10+ hours on alkaline batteries, whereas cheap flashlights dim significantly after 3-4 hours and fail unpredictably during actual emergencies.
First aid kits purchased more than 3 years ago likely contain expired antiseptics and medications that provide false confidence—inspect yours now and discard kits older than the manufacturing date on the label. Replenish annually with a fresh Red Cross Deluxe First Aid Kit ($25-35) to ensure bandages remain sterile and medications remain effective. ---