You may have a couple of days warning before an ice storm, severe snow storm, or hurricane come and think that gives you plenty of time to prepare for the storm and what may happen next. However, a whole lot of people in your area are thinking the exact same thing, and you are all going to end up fighting over the last jar of peanut butter and the last loaf of bread. If your area is unreachable from the outside because of the storm, it may take a while for those shelves to fill back up. Power outages may mean that you can't store food in your refrigerator or freezer. That's why it's smart to have some emergency food and water storage. That way you don't have to rush out to stock up on milk, bread, and toilet paper, since you are already prepared.
Water
While you may be able to get by on fewer calories for a few days, you shouldn't skimp on the amount of water that you have. The recommendation is that you should have at least 3 days' worth of water for each person in your house. A day's worth of water for the average person is one gallon. That includes drinking water and washing/cooking water. If you have pets, you will want to make sure that you add in water for them as well. These recommendations are just the bare minimum, so you can add more water in if you want to, especially if you live in storm-prone areas or if you lose power regularly.
You need to make sure that you store the water correctly. You don't want to lose any water out of your containers or have anything leach into your water. You can buy bottled water and keep it in those containers. You can also buy commercial water storage containers that you can use. Those containers may be easier to store because they are sturdier and more easily stacked.
Food
Just like you should have 3 days' worth of water, you should have the same for food. When it comes to food, there are things that you should look for. One is that you want things that are shelf-stable. That generally means things that are canned or boxed. You don't want anything that needs to be refrigerated. You also want things that your family will eat, especially if you have a picky eater or a specialized diet. An emergency is not the right place to find out that your family doesn't like the food that you stored. You should also avoid things that are overly salty since you will have a limited amount of water. Look for things like tuna, canned soups, trail mix, peanut butter, protein bars, etc. Don't forget to pack treats or comfort food. You are going to want to have something to make you feel better during the emergency. Make sure that you pack a can opener as well.
When you store your emergency food supply, don't store it with the rest of your food. Look for something like a rubber tub that has a lid. That way the food is all in one place, protected from the sun, and easily accessible. If you have to evacuate the house, you can easily grab a tub to take with you.
The time to prepare for a storm or natural disaster is before it happens. Storing food and water will make sure that you have food and water when the storm happens. For more information, contact local professionals like Jim's Water Truck Service.
