• Behavioral Issues
• Child Care
• Cleaning Up After a Storm
• Communication
• Deciding To Stay Or Go
• Evacuation Shelters
• First Aid & Medical
• Flood Center
• Food and Water
• Help the Relief Effort
• Insurance Center
• Lighting & Power
• Pet Care
• Preparing Your Home
• Special Needs
• Storms Explained

Essentials Checklist: Tools and Supplies

For decades, "Be Prepared," has been the motto of the Boy Scouts. However, as each year brings more dangerous hurricanes, destructive tornadoes, earthquakes and the threat of terrorism, it's time everyone discovered the importance of these two words. As the cornerstone of your emergency essentials, you should include these tools and supplies:

__Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
__Emergency preparedness manual
__Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
__Flashlight and extra batteries
__Cash or traveler's checks, change
__Non-electric can opener, utility knife
__Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
__Tube tent
__Pliers
__Tape
__Compass
__Matches in a waterproof container
__Aluminum foil
__Plastic storage containers
__Signal flare
__Paper, pencil
__Needles, thread
__Medicine dropper
__Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
__Whistle
__Plastic sheeting
__Map of the area (for locating shelters)