15.12 Advance preparation

Do it once, review it every six months. Most of these items are also useful for tornadoes, blackouts, and storms (see chapter 2).

Plan

• We chose the shelter room in our house or apartment and everyone in the household knows it.
• We identified the sturdiest building nearest to home, work, and school, and whether it is open at night and on weekends.
• We decided in advance: option A (go to the nearby building) or B (stay put), depending on the time and who is home.
• Every adult knows what to do if at work or in the car: go into the nearest building, do not drive home.
• We agreed on an out-of-state contact and a meeting point for after the evacuation.
• We are registered with our city or county alert system and have the phone's emergency alerts turned on.
• We practiced: in 5 minutes, everyone and the pets in the shelter room with the kit.

Supplies for the shelter room (per person and per pet, at least 3 days)

• Water: at least 3 gallons (11.4 L) per person (1 gallon per person per day) plus water for pets based on their weight. Storing more adds extra mass. Packaged food that requires no cooking, for people and pets; manual can opener.
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA band, and spare batteries.
• Flashlights (not candles), batteries, portable charger.
• First-aid kit and each person's prescription medications (see chapter 7).
• Heavy-duty zip-top trash bags, disposable gloves, wet wipes, clean cloths.
• Face masks (N95 if you have them) for when someone has to come in from outside.
• Clean clothes for each person, stored in a bag.
• Soap and shampoo (no conditioner), towels.
• Emergency toilet: bucket, bags, cat litter or sawdust (see chapter 21).
• Litter box, waste bags, leash, and carrier for the pets.
• Battery-powered fans and a thermometer (extreme heat).
• Printed list of phone numbers and copies of important documents.
• Bookcases, boxes of books, or water containers already placed near the shelter room.

If there is advance warning (threat or alert)

• Bring the pets inside.
• Fill the bathtub and containers with water.
• Charge phones and batteries.
• Move the mass (books, water) to the shelter room.
• Locate every member of the household.