How to build a Storm Readiness Kit
Here's an argument for the government sheeple that proclaim all is well if a weather event comes, because FEMA is there to help us! Well, not really. You see, even FEMA has asked that all families have enough food, water, and medicine on hand for three days (link at bottom of article).
Here in Florida we face a strong chance of being effected by hurricanes, storm surges, and the near daily onslaught of late summer thunderstorms that can sometimes kick up winds near 55 mph without notice blowing down trees and flooding streets. I'm sure the same or similar holds true in one way or another for other areas of the country. So for instances where the power goes out for a few hours or a few days, the water main breaks, or trees come down on your car, you could use a simple collection of supplies to make yourself a little more comfortable.
A Storm Kit does not have to be as readily portable as a 72 hour kit or Bug Out Bag and can be in a stocked bunker if you so choose as the goal is to pass the time as comfortably as possible in your own home and minimize damage if you can. However, if you plan on using a vehicle to bug out it might be a good idea to keep a small portion of this kit in rubbermade bins or something similar so that they can be carried to the vehicle by an able-bodied adult to compliment your Bug Out Gear.
Your basics in any kit will always include food, water, and medicine/first aid. While we assemble portable BOBs we place a premium on weight savings and prefer to carry dehydrated goods and limit actual water carry in favor of filtration devices. In your Storm Kit weight and space will not be such as issue. So make sure to have plenty of ready-to-go foods that do not need complex preparations and gallon jugs of potable water. That way your time can be spent on repairing any damage to your home, keeping the kids calm, or assisting in clean up.
Next is light, if you like candles or open flames in the fireplace, great! Just remember that they are serious fire hazards and in a worse case scenario, Fire Resuce will already be plenty busy. If you go this route please remember a fire extinguisher or three. You should have one on hand anyways, but as a reminder, get one! Flashlights are of course an awesome tool and are portable. I prefer Petzl LED headlamps for hands free use and low power draw. I also prefer ones that can strobe for signaling and have selectable brightness settings such as my E41 Tikka. In any case, have plenty of batteries on hand. We use all AAA flashlights in our storm kit so that we only have one kind of battery to stock up on. It is best to buy quality lights as those wally-world specials usually have low-output and high power draw. To add, the bulbs are junk that will break with one drop. I'll do a review of my headlamp soon.
This may sound ridiculous but in a Storm Kit having some luxury items on hand is a necessity, especially if you have children. If you have kids don't forget a few simple entertainment items for them. Some board games or stack of UNO cards won't be space hogs when we're talking about several bins of preps. Children are extremely perceptive as you already know and will sense your stress level. Help to comfort them by engaging them in fun activities to create a sense of normalcy. It's also a great idea to include items you use as vices to help keep yourself off edge. If you smoke or dip, make sure a bit of tobacco is packed away somewhere. A few Hostess cakes are also a great idea for those with a regular sweet tooth.
If you have medicines that must be kept cold get a small cooler that fits on a shelf of your fridge/freezer . Hopefully you have a freezer capable of making ice. If you do, keep it active. If you don't make sure to keep a few bags of steamed veggies instead. When the power goes out dump some of your ice into the cooler, put your meds inside the cooler and stick it at the bottom of the freezer (or fridge if it can't be frozen). This will keep your meds good and cold after the fridge/freezer has raised to room temp. Your freezer should stay cool for 24-48 hours after lights out if the door is closed. This should be plenty of time but then again, I can remember 4-5 days of lights out for some "small" storms. So better safe than sorry. You can adjust this method for the fridge if meds can't be frozen.
Note: Some people think the cooler-in-freezer method works like a pot-in-pot cooler and thus, the interior of the cooler will be significantly colder than the freezer. This isn't so. Assuming the freezer is running, the cooler will only be as cold as the ambient air in the freezer. There is no evaporative effect because of the moisture being removed in the cooling process. If you want to understand the process search How a Freezer works on e-how.
If your budget and HOA (if you have one) should allow, invest in a simple propane grill and an extra tank of propane. It may not fit into a bin or be easily transported but its usable in the best of times and is a lifesaver for meal preparation should you get tired of Chef Boyardee or know the meat in your freezer will go bad if not cooked now. Not to mention that a hot meal is a great morale booster. Just make sure to get two tanks with one full tank always at the ready. Rotate the tanks and get the empty refilled ASAP. Of course there are many iterations of this idea, Coleman/camp stoves, charcoal grilles, fire pits, etc. and all of them are viable options. But you'll need to think about which one you'll get more value from.
I will assume that if you're riding out a storm at home that clean clothes will be available, but suffice to say, you should keep some hand-wash type detergent available and a bit of cordage for hang drying. This way should you by chance run out of clean clothing, you have options. If you plan to assist in clean up you will need some rough use clothing similar to what you may wear in the bush, or maybe just a good set of old jeans and a long sleeve cotton shirt. Think of what you see landscapers wearing, 'cause that's essentially what you'll be doing.
Note: Keep a few 2"x4"s about four feet long in closets near entrance/exit doors. If security becomes an issue wedge the wood under the door handle and a nail in the floor. Of course your windows and sliding glass doors are potential weaknesses but this method is great for a cheap and easy kick-proof door.
An often overlooked portion of kit is tools. Not just a Gerber multi or some screwdrivers but things to clear tree hazards and dig a quick latrine (if the water main breaks). A pair of work gloves, a two handled axe, a saw, machete and shovel can be had for less than $100 at any hardware store and should be more than ready for this kind of use. I wouldn't consider your camp hatchet and e-tool a good fit for heavy clearing work so if you have the cash and see the need, jump on it.
As found out when the power goes, the TV just doesn't do so good. Sometimes the cell towers work, sometimes they don't. So to keep updated about when the linemen may be out or any relief efforts available you may want to purchase a radio with internal power ability. You'll want something with the weather band but also AM/FM. Battery powered is fine if you plan on stocking the batteries, but crank or solar combined with a battery would be better. Be careful you don't get suckered into a whiz-bang set up from walgreens that will just as soon break as work, do your research and get a good unit. A small unit with solar would be a great piece of kit for the BOB, as well.
Depending on specific types of weather threats you may want to include some pre-fabricated supplies to harden weak areas. In Florida if you have the cash storm shutters are great. If you don't, it would be a good move to measure your windows and cut solid PT board to fit over them. Store in your garage or shed and never worry about that mad rush to home depot again. It'd be even better to leave brackets in place so that you and a buddy or spouse can put up the boards in an hour or so (assuming there's any warning) and not worry about sealing the holes left when you inevitably take the boards down. A roll of duct tape comes in handy if storage space is an issue. Taping a star or asterisk-like pattern on your windows should help with keeping glass from shattering but won't protect anything from impacting the glass in the first place. Moving large pieces of furniture against weak doors and windows is good should debris start flying into the house, but in a worst case scenario can slow rescue crews. If the storm is overhead it is best to seek a hallway or room in the center of the home, preferably with as few windows or doors as possible. There is some debate as to whether windows on the opposite sides of the house should be opened for cross winds and to keep the interior pressure in the house from being susceptible to a vacuum effect, but I have never seen a final word on it from a scientific point of view. You'll need to use your best judgment. Most important is to have a plan of procedures, and yes I know no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, but a plan helps with organization and presence of mind. Keeping one's wits about them is as important as any material prep.
Generators are a great source of debate. The good ones are expensive when things are good and priceless when things are bad. They are targets of theft either way and when running are loud and emit exhaust, thus are usually kept outside where some two-legged predators can hear, smell, and see. They aren't small either and for most people have little to no use when things are good. So please evaluate your possible uses of a generator before putting down $500 for one you may never have need of. If your principle uses of a genny would be charging phones/radios/running a hot plate maybe a good jump box with an inverter might be a better bang for your buck as it should be part of a solid vehicle kit anyways and will run silently.
So as a minimum you should compile a kit with -
1xGallon jug of water per person, per day
Food with atleast 3500 calories per person per day
Can openers and utensils
A good first aid kit with pain relievers, fever reducers, antibiotics (if available), bandages and dressings, scissors and tweezers
A surplus of prescribed meds
A tool kit with all the greatest hits
Light sources - candles, flashlights, batteries
An emergency procedures plan
Optional but highly recommended -
Fire extinguishers
Rubber bins for storage and portability
Weather band radio
Materials for hardening weak areas like doors and windows
A non-electric grill with fuel and starter
Heavy-work tools - saw, axe, machete, work gloves, shovel
Toys/games for kids
Extra clean clothes/work clothes
Generator or power inverter
Copies of important docs - insurance, ID, bank accounts (see Critical Documents Kit)
Toiletries - soap, TP, shaving kit, toothbrush/paste
This list is in no way all-inclusive. You should evaluate your own unique circumstances and identify possible areas of weakness in your preps.
For more information on what FEMA says about the matter, check out this link - www.ready.gov/america/getakit/