Emergency preparedness
Make a plan for you and your family in case of emergencies like floods, earthquakes, extreme heat or cold, fires, major storms, or biohazards.
Making a plan
Ready.gov has information in many languages to help you prepare for an emergency.
- How will you contact your family or other important people?
- What is your evacuation route?
- Do you have an emergency preparedness kit?
Emergency supplies
Keep supplies in one or two easy to carry containers such as a plastic bin or duffel bag:
- Water (one gallon per person per day)
- Non-perishable food
- Prescription medications, eyeglasses, medical devices
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio to get emergency updates
- Flashlight
- First Aid kit
- Extra batteries
- Dust masks to filter contaminated air
- Garbage bags
- Cell phones with chargers and a back-up battery
For more information on creating an emergency supply kit, visit Ready.gov.
Power outages
Power outages are common after winter storms. Make sure you have warm clothes, blankets, flashlights, non-perishable food, and keep your cell phone fully charged.
Do not use candles because they can start a fire. Do not use gas, BBQs, generators, or propane for indoor heat, because they create carbon monoxide which can lead to death.
After 4 hours without power, the USDA recommends throwing away perishable food such as meat, eggs, and leftovers. KCHA is not responsible for lost food.
Stay away from downed power lines and trees with broken branches.
Check Ready.gov for more information.
Drinking water
Some disasters can shut down your home’s water system. You can prepare by storing a three-day supply of water per person.
Adults need about half a gallon of drinking water each day — more in warm weather or while working hard. You may need another one-half to one gallon per person for cooking, cleaning dishes, bathing, and teeth brushing.
You can safely store water in a cool, dark place for at least a year. Food-safe plastic bottles work well, as long as you keep them away from gasoline or other chemical vapors. You may also use metal bottles, as long as you have not treated the water with bleach. Make sure to mark the bottles with the date you stored them. Replace the water each year.
In an emergency you can find water in other places in your home. These include ice cubes in the freezer, water from the upper tank of the toilet (not the bowl), and the hot water heater.