The North Coast CERT 26-week Disaster Preparedness Planner
Week 3: January 16 – 22, 2012
- This list is designed to be a starting point. Be sure to adjust each item to suit your own specific needs.
- For more information about this planner click here.
Things to buy this week:
- 1 gallon water *
- 1 can of fruit *
- 1 can of meat or vegetables *
- Feminine hygiene/sanitary items **
- 1 gallon water for each pet **
- Water storage container **
- Large plastic containers with locking lids
* Per person in household × 1 week (your specific Rural Factor).
** Optional depending on your requirements.
Things to do this week:
- Clearly date each perishable food/liquid item using the marking pen
- Designate the location for your disaster supply kit
Where to put your stuff
By now you have accumulated a few food items and other things that need to be stored somewhere. Deciding where to set up your disaster supply kit is an important consideration.
Ideally you want to put your disaster supplies in a location that is accessible but not somewhere that may be unavailable if your home was severely damaged. An outbuilding with a locked door makes for a good storage place; however, be sure to place a copy of the key somewhere safe outside of the house.
If you must store your supplies in your house, situate them in a closet or storage room that can be accessed through an exterior window or door. Remember that your supplies are only as useful as they are accessible.
What to put your stuff in
There are many kinds of storage containers available: a hard plastic storage bin with a tightly sealing lid is ideal. This is particularly important if your supply kit is stored in a location where rodents and other critters can and will chew through anything less sturdy. If you have food products packaged in soft plastic or cardboard, you may want to consider purchasing a few stackable hard plastic containers with locking airtight lids to store those items in.
The ability to stack your disaster supplies is important to the long-term maintenance. As you stack your items, be sure that any expiration dates are clearly visible, writing them on masking tape if necessary. Knowing what is next to rotate out makes for a fresh disaster supply cache.
Water, water everywhere…
Managing your water storage is one of the more challenging aspects of maintaining disaster supplies. Consider that water for two people for a week is almost three cases of 1.5 liter water bottles (14 gallons at 1 gallon per person per day), and you will realize that bottled water is not the best solution. Additionally, commercial bottled water has a limited shelf life, so if you opt for bottled water, be sure to rotate new water in to replace the oldest dated bottles in your cache.
There are containers designed for water storage that will allow you to keep larger quantities of water. As you create your kit, consider buying several of these to add to your water storage capabilities over the next 26 weeks. The cost of buying water storage containers is offset when you rotate the water in your supply kit.
The North Coast CERT 26-week Disaster Preparedness planner is your tool to ensure your household and workplace are prepared. By following this weekly planner, in 26 weeks you will have established a disaster preparedness plan and supply kit for your home and/or workplace.
When the 26-week planner is complete, preparedness continues by following the “maintenance” section. This will help you keep your plan and your disaster supplies up to date.
Never fear if you are joining us partway into the planner: you will have the opportunity to catch up on missed weeks when the Planner begins again in July. The Planner is about ongoing preparedness.
Join us at North Coast CERT in taking the 26-week Disaster Preparedness challenge. As a community and a region we can become prepared. The time we spend now can make all of the difference when the worst happens.
Be aware. Be prepared.