Family Emergency Preparedness Checklist
Last Updated on January 22, 2024 by Allison Lancaster
If a true emergency struck, would your family be ready? This checklist is a must have for all families. Keep it handy and start stocking up to avoid panic if a disaster strikes.
With all of the chatter about the coronavirus (COVID-19) lately, being prepared for emergencies…specifically a quarantine has been at the top of many people’s minds. Personally, I’m not one to panic over things like this. Honestly, we never keep anything stocked up and do a Wal-Mart pick up order at least once per week for things that we need. We’ve gotten used to the convenience factor as a society.
We just run out when we need something, or better yet…we order from Amazon Prime! While I am all about convenience and not living in fear, I do think the coronavirus has made many of us question: ‘how prepared are our families should a disaster strike?’. For us, we were not prepared at all.
Then, a week or so ago, I realized that was silly. Why not stock up on some things that we use? We go through bottled water all the time at our house, we eat beans and rice and pasta. Why would I not stock up on some of those things, just in case a disaster strikes?
Grab Your Emergency Prep Kit Here:
Here are some of the basic items that ALL households should have on hand, for any emergency.
Think any illness, job loss, or even just a couple of busy weeks where you don’t have time to think about going to the store. Don’t forget when there is terrible weather, and a tornado hits or an ice storm hits and you are without power for days or even weeks.
Supplies for the entire family’s hygiene
Toilet Paper-for some reason, this is the first thing to go in a crisis. People are concerned about hygiene during a possible quarantine. Stock up when it’s on sale, and use a coupon to stretch your budget further, too.
Bottled water- When the power goes out, many of us do not have running water. This is especially true if you have a well and an electric pump. Having some bottled water on hand will help you over an emergency by having water to cook with, drink, and even wash your hands as necessary.
How to Keep Your Family Healthy
Hand sanitizer- very useful to have on hand for when those you love are sick, to help keep germs at bay. We would much prefer using soap and water to be honest, but in a pinch, hand sanitizers work. If you can’t find any at your local store, rubbing alcohol with some essential oils like lavender, lemon, or tea tree oil mixed in will also work.
Hand soap- Washing your hands often is the best defense against spreading germs. Keep a few extra bottles on hand.
Supplies for your pantry
This begins with canned foods, and dried food staples, of course. But, did you remember the seasonings? If you have to live off of dried beans and rice for a couple of weeks, having some different spices will make it much easier.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Canned veggies such as green beans, peas, corn, carrots
- Dried pasta
- Jarred or canned spaghetti sauce
- Canned meats like chicken, or beef.
- Dried beans
- Rice
- Canned milk
- Oats
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda– in a pinch, this can double for cleaning, deodorant, and toothpaste as well. We grab an extra box or two every time we go to the store.
Start preparing by using a checklist. You may never (hopefully) have to worry about pulling from this emergency cache, but at least you’ll know it’s there if it becomes necessary.
Purchase items you know you and your family will use, so nothing will go to waste. For example, if you know you will NEVER eat beans, don’t stock them in your pantry. A stressful time of emergency is NOT the time to be trying new foods or methods of cooking.
And the best part, is with a fully stocked pantry and emergency supplies, you will never have to worry about running out of toilet paper at 9PM on a Wednesday night.
While I don’t recommend purchasing everything off of the shelves just because you can, I do recommend starting a good stockpile of supplies that your family needs should an emergency strike.
