One Thing Wednesday: Storage Space

DEM Blogger

November 18, 2015

The Do 1 Thing site won the Awareness to Action category of FEMA’s 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. It’s a 12-month program of small steps that you can take to increase your personal and household preparedness. Throughout 2015, DEM will feature Do 1 Thing items during our weekly blog post series of One Thing Wednesdays. Check back here every week for a new preparedness activity or tip!

We’ve talked a lot about skills and knowledge, but physical tools are also an important part of preparedness. Our theme for November is supplies: the consumable items and substances that help turn a disaster into an adventure.

At the beginning of the month we talked about putting together your emergency kit. Once you’ve assembled that kit, take a few minutes to think about where to put it. Attic storage may be convenient for getting it out of the way, but “out of the way” is not necessarily where you want it when you need it in an emergency! Likewise, be cautious of potential environmental hazards that could damage your kit’s contents, such as your water heater.

Consider storing your kit in the room you’ve designated as your home’s tornado shelter or shelter-in-place room. This will ensure it’s readily accessible during disasters when you may not be able to leave your place of refuge.

If you have a separate kit for evacuation (your “go bag” or “bug-out bag”), it’s likely that any situation requiring it will be one in which time is at a premium. Therefore, it makes sense to store it where you can easily grab it on your way out the door. Consider making space for it in your coat closet or in your garage next to your car.