Away From Home When Disaster Strikes

You will not always be in the comfort of your home when disaster hits, but generally, you will be in or near your auto.  How grateful you will be to have a well-stocked emergency kit in the trunk or cargo hold.  

What should you have in that emergency kit?   Enough essential supplies to meet your needs for 96-Hours – that’s four days and four nights.  

It will be difficult enough to be away from home, you don’t want to be caught empty handed, or under-prepared if you have to hunker down in your auto or some other location.

If the disaster is catastrophic in scope many roads will not be drive-able and utilities will be disrupted, either from direct damage or because they have to be shut-down for safety reasons.  

Priority needs:  Are you bleeding?  If so, stop the bleed.  Apply pressure.  Is someone nearby bleeding?  Help them.  Take the class “Stop the Bleed;” it is just a couple of hours and is generally delivered at no cost.  Get trained.  Your kit should have large pieces of sterile cloth you can use to apply pressure.  Old sheets, washed and cut into smaller sections, could be very useful.   

If you have cuts, wounds you will want to disinfect the wound and cover it with sterile dressing and tape securely. You kit should include basic first aid supplies, including cravats (cloth cut into large triangular shapes) – good for slings, wrapping, etc. 

You will probably need a rest room before you need water, food, information, transportation, etc.  Downed utilities may mean no working toilets.  Your kit should include emergency sanitation supplies.  Some heavy bags to use for solid waste (use more than once to conserve), TP, wet wipes, sanitizer, sanitary gloves, mask.   Include a 2-1/2 gallon bucket or some other container with a tight lid to collect used bags.  Solid human waste is toxic and if not collected properly could set off a secondary public health disaster that can cause debilitating and dangerous illness.   

If it is winter, staying warm is vital.  There will be no heated buildings.  Does your kit include blankets and a change of warm clothing?  Coat, study shoes, thermal underwear, heavy scarf, gloves, hand/feet warmers, wool socks, knit hat, ear muffs, etc.  If you routinely fill-up when your gas tank hits the ½ mark (for the ultra cautious, the ¾ mark), you will be able to run your car to get short periods of warmth.  That good supply of gasoline will also allow you to leave the area -- if some roads are open.

Communication.  You will need information;  turn your car radio on to a local station.  If you don’t hear useful information at that point, turn it off to conserve battery or fuel.  Does your cell phone work?  Do you have a power pack pre-charged as part of your kit?  A charging cable?  Try sending a text.  Local calls will quickly back-log.  Visit Twitter/Facebook as social media will be used, if possible, to communicate official informati0n.  Beware of rumors or misinformation.  Pay attention to local government messages.

There will probably be a gathering place that was either pre-determined or just springs up in response to neighborhood needs.  Ask people in the street until you are speaking with someone who knows the area well and can direct you.  Even if you want to stay put in your auto, take a walk to the nearest gathering place and find out what you can; report in if they are set up for that.  Offer help if you are able.  Talk to those in charge.  Again, beware of rumors and misinformation.   

Water, water, water.  More important than food.  Make sure your emergency auto kit includes at least 4 gallons of water.  More, if you want to help others who are unprepared.  Kidneys need water daily to keep functional.  Three days with no water and kidneys begin to shut down.  

Food is important too for energy to cope and as a source of comfort.  Hunger is very gnawing and stressful.  Keep food simple.  Good tasting protein powder, a shaker to mix it with water or dried milk, protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, snack packages, treats.  Rotate it into home use periodically and replace with fresh food items.  Our bodies can survive many days without food, so it is less important than water -- if you had to choose.  

Include flashlights, batteries that are changed-out periodically, emergency whistle, flares, a few basic hygiene supplies, identification, copies of any training certification, local map.  

A collapsible cart in your trunk or cargo hold could be very useful if you had to leave your vehicle.  Unfold it and put in your emergency supplies. 

A well-thought out emergency car kit in each family vehicle is one source of peace of mind.