If you’ve been grocery shopping this week, it’s hard to miss all the empty shelves. Many have never experienced a state of emergency, and preparation can be extremely difficult!

If you already have an emergency supply kit, awesome! If not, this is a good time to put one together – and we’re here to help.

Ready.gov reports that you should have one (1) gallon of water a day per person and per pet, which can be used to drink, cook, and clean with. Tap water is fine to drink, and comes recommended as supermarkets run low on bottled water. If you prefer bottled, be mindful of others when stocking up on large quantities!

Food Items

  • Canned Goods – Canned food can be purchased as replacements for fresh fruits and vegetables in storage that will last for long periods of time. Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, and Soups are all good examples of canned goods to have on hand.

If necessary, keep fresh fruits and vegetables in the fridge and buy them while they’re still green.

  • Pantry Items – Applesauce, pasta, grains like rice & quinoa, granola bars, dried fruits, nuts and nut butters, cereal, jerky.
  • Frozen Foods – Meat, Poultry, Frozen Pizza, Frozen Meals, Fruits, and Veggies.
  • Baby Food, Formula, and Dog Food

Pharmacy Items/Medicines

  • Multivitamins
  • Tylenol
  • Cough Medicine
  • Zinc lozenges
  • Allergy Medicines

Household Goods

  • As far as non-food items, make sure you have enough cleaning supplies and toiletries, but don’t overdo it!
  • Toilet Paper
  • Paper Towels
  • Diapers & Wipes
  • Sanitizing Wipes
  • Alcohol Based Sanitizers