Disaster Emergency Kits for Minnesota Homes

Mar 11 2020

Here in Minnesota, we’re no stranger to harsh weather and extreme temperatures. We’ve experienced tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, hailstorms, and wildfires. Because of our climate, it’s important to be prepared to be displaced from your home. The best way to get ready for such a scenario is to put together your very own disaster emergency kit. This kit should last multiple days and take care of your basic needs during that time. A basic 72-hour kit typically includes at a minimum:

Fresh water
Non-perishable food
A change of clothes
Necessary medication

That’s just the bare basics! Some families create emergency kits for each family member or just do a big kit to serve everyone’s needs. Some may even choose to do a big kit as well as individual kits. Professional “preppers” may even create different types of kits based off of how much time they have to grab everything and put it in their car. As you can probably tell, there are so many different kinds of kits and different ways to build them out. Keep reading to learn about what we recommend for your kit.

72-Hour Personal Emergency Kit

This kit is typically just a backpack packed with your most necessary things. It should be kept in your bedroom or somewhere you can easily grab it. The ideal weight for this kit is 20 percent of your body weight. After all, you don’t want it to be too heavy or uncomfortable should you have to walk a long distance with it.

What Should You Put in Your Personal Emergency Kit?

4 water bottles
Non-perishable food: granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit, canned soup (with pull-off lids), and jerky (enough to eat sparingly for three days).
Flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries
Small first aid kit
Necessary medications or medical equipment with instructions
Cash sealed in a bag ($100 per person in $5 or $10 bills)
Moist towelettes, toilet paper, and garbage bags for personal sanitation
Emergency blanket or sleeping bag
Hunting knife
Matches
Water filter system (like a filter straw or water bottle)
One full set of extra clothes
Hand and body warmers
Recharger for your phone
Laminated list of emergency contact phone numbers

Additional Family Emergency Kit

Family emergency kits are usually packed storage bins. You may choose to pack it with everything that would go into a personal emergency kit but with enough supplies for the entire family. However, we recommend doing individual kits plus an additional family emergency kit. This kit isn’t as weight-restricted as a personal emergency kit. Yet, it shouldn’t be too difficult for one or two individuals to load into the trunk of your vehicle. Plan on grabbing this kit only if you have enough time to safely get out of your house and not during a house fire.

What Should Be Included in a Family Emergency Kit

Battery-Powered radio
Large first aid kit
Copies of documents, such as house and health insurance information and social security cards
Small tool kit with wrench, pliers, and screwdrivers
Manual can opener
Extra non-perishable food for more family-style meals—like freeze-dried eggs, dehydrated potato slices, and chilli (check out the different types of emergency essential foods at BePrepared.com).
2-3 Large picnic-style blankets
Storage bucket and bucket toilet seat lid
Campstove
LED lantern
Tent (this may not fit into the storage bin but should be kept nearby)
Pet food for any pets you may have
Small travel-sized board games and card decks
Formula, diapers, wipes, and any must-have items for young children

Rapid Restoration is Ready for the Next Emergency Situation

No matter what emergency comes your way, we hope you’ll use our this guide to keep you and your family safe. Take care of your immediate needs first, and then give us a call at 612-239-7411. When you call us, we’ll come to your aid as soon as the situation has died down and help get your home back to its pre-emergency condition.