by JoAnn Powell

Created on: November 24, 2009

When winter approaches, having a winter safety kit for your home can help alleviate worry and anxiety as you deal with a cold weather emergency. Winter storm conditions can vary from a light dusting of snow to snow drifts of depths that make roadways impassable for days. Ice storms can bring down power lines and severe freezing can rupture water lines.

To be ready when an emergency occurs you need to have some supplies readily available to hold your household over until the emergency is resolved.

A winter emergency kit should include:

1. Food. Pack food that requires no refrigeration, such as crackers,cookies, bread and cereal. Pack canned fruit and meat. If the cans don't have pop-top lids, pack a manual can opener. Juice boxes and unopened fruit juice bottles don't need refrigeration and can be a welcome treat from plain water.

2. Baby food, formula, and diapers and wipes if you have infants or young children.

3. Water. The recommended amount to keep on hand is 5 gallons for each person, but extra water will keep indefinitely, so store as much as you can. You'll need this not only for drinking, but for flushing toilets and washing up if the water supply is interrupted.

4. First Aid kit. All homes need to have a fully stocked first aid kit in the home and in the car. These can be purchased with all supplies included, or you can assemble one of your own. Check out www.redcross.org for suggested items to include.

5. Prescription medication. It may not be possible to get out for several days during an emergency, so keep medicines refilled ahead of time.

6. An alternative heating method for your home. Extra wood for the fireplace if you have a wood burner, a kerosene heater and kerosene, or an electric space heater. Take extra caution when using these alternate heating methods and supervise children at all times when they are in use.

7. Flash lights and extra batteries. Store the batteries separately from the flashlight to prolong battery life and prevent corrosion.

8. Battery operated AM-FM radio and extra batteries, also stored separately. You'll want to stay apprised of the latest weather conditions or worsening conditions.

9. Extra blankets. Keep these handy in case the heat is off for extended periods of time.

Your home's location can be a guide to the amount of supplies you need to keep on hand. If you live in a remote, rural area it could take a few days for rescue crews to reach you and you should consider storing additional supplies. However, if you live in an urban area within walking distance to shopping it will be possible for you to replenish your supplies within a day or so.

Keeping the supplies handy and knowing you have prepared ahead of time will help you get through emergency situations.

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