This time of year, I get a little nervous about hurricanes. I’m glad I don’t live in Florida but, the fact is, hurricanes travel up the Eastern Seaboard with alarming regularity. We need to be ready. I know, you are tuning me out and figuring it will be No Big Deal or you can just buy what you need ahead of time. I get that – and I too am that person. But I am trying to be a little more prepared this year.

You can get many preparedness items (if you don’t have them already) at a local hardware store or supermarket. And, of course, there’s always online!

Here’s our list (if you have suggestions/recommendations, please share!):

• Non‐perishable food and water (you can buy bottled water and/or have water storage containers you can fill up before the storm, like the 7 gallon Reliance Aqua-Tainer Water Container).
• Flashlight and headlamp with spare batteries (make sure you know what type of batteries each device takes!).
• A couple of solar lanterns (the type used for camping).
• A portable solar charging panel and an extra (charged!) battery pack for your phone.
• A lighter or book of matches, in case you need to light a gas burner.
• First aid kit (buy one or compile your own).
• Important documents (i.e. insurance card, birth certificate, Social Security card, etc.). Store documents in a water‐ proof container.
• Cash.
• Any prescription medicines that you may need.  
• Make sure your vehicle’s gas tank is full and move it to an area away from large trees if possible.
• Store kit in a safe, secure, dry area.
• If you store things in your basement, make sure the containers are waterproof and, ideally, raised off the floor.
• If you have a medically-fragile person in your household, consider signing that person up to the R.I. Special Needs Emergency Registry. (Our son James is on oxygen 24/7 and, until I wrote this story, I had not checked to make sure he was on that registry – he is now!)
• Make a plan regarding a safe place to retreat to if you live in an area that might be inundated with water, as well as a plan to communicate with loved ones.

What’s your go-to emergency preparedness item? Share it in the comments (or email e[email protected]) so we can build an EG-centric list.