IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

FEMA’s Basic Disaster Kit List

There’s one new item I can’t recall being on the list before.

I copied the list below from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) communications, since it is Disaster Preparedness Month here in the United States.

One item caught my attention and is highlighted below. I don’t ever recall it being included in a “very basic” list of supplies. What, no medicines? I like toilet paper myself ... .

I’m not opposed to pliers being on the list. A wrench is a tool that can be interpreted many different ways — crescent wrench, monkey wrench, socket wrench, boxed or open wrench. Its inclusion seems “interesting at best” to me.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

A basic emergency supplies kit could include the following items:

  • Water
  • Food
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio
  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • Whistle
  • Dust or N-95 mask
  • Plastic sheeting and duct tape
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties
  • Wrench or pliers
  • Local maps
  • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Visit Ready.gov for a complete list of recommended emergency supplies.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.