It’s always good to be prepared with an emergency kit in your car and home—you never know what is going to happen, whether it’s a hurricane, fire hazard, earthquake, flood, or disease outbreak, you should prepare for the worst.
“We’re looking at seasonal weather-related disasters going on at the same time as Covid-19,” says Jeff Schlegelmilch, deputy director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University in New York City. (The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 until the end of November).
According to the National Safety Council, in 2018 alone, 62,339 weather events, including hurricanes, heat waves, and winter weather, caused 782 deaths and 1,797 injuries.
“Crises are terrifying, and the only way to make them less terrifying is to be prepared,” says NSC spokesperson Maureen Vogel. “One of the first things is keeping a home emergency kit always on hand.”
Read on to discover what pros recommend packing whether you need to stay at home or you need to leave in a hurry:
