How Do I Get Food and Water?
Water
- The American Red Cross and other volunteer agencies will provide you with food, water and clothing.
- Listen to your radio or watch local media for the location of the nearest volunteer agency facility.
- Sources of water in your home
- Your hot water heater is an excellent source of water.
- Turn off the power that heats your tank and let it cool.
- When you want water, place a container underneath and open the drain valve on the bottom of the tank.
How Much Water do I Need?
- Have a minimum of three-day supply of water
- Store at least one gallon of water per person per day - A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.
- Determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:
- Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.
- Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water.
- Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed.
- A medical emergency might require additional water.
How Should I Store Water?
- The safest and most reliable emergency supply of water is commercially bottled water purchased at a grocery/discount store.
- Keep bottled water in its original container
- Do not open it until you need to use it.
- Observe the expiration or "use by" date.
If You are Preparing Your Own Containers of Water
- Purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage.
- Thoroughly clean the containers with dish washing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap before filling.
- Follow directions below on filling the container with water.
If you choose to use your own storage containers:
- Use a two-liter plastic soft drink bottles
- DO NOT USE plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them.
- Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them.
- Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy.
Steps to storing water in plastic soda bottles:
- Thoroughly clean the bottles with dish washing soap and water.
- Rinse completely so there is no residual soap.
- Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water.
- Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces.
- Thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.
Filling Water Containers
- Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water.
NOTE: If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean.
- If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine
- Add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.
- Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger.
- Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it.
- Store in a cool, dark place.
- Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.
Food
- Store a minimum of three-day supply of non-perishable food.
- Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water.
- If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno.
- Select food items that are compact and lightweight.
- Avoid foods that will make you thirsty. Choose salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals, and canned foods with high liquid content.
- Pack a manual can opener and eating utensils.
*Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:
Note: Be sure to include a manual can opener.
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
- Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
- Staples - sugar, salt, pepper
- High energy foods - peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
- Vitamins
- Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs
- Comfort/stress foods - cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags
Be sure to select foods your family will eat like:
- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
- Protein or fruit bars
- Dry cereal or granola
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Canned juices
- Non-perishable pasteurized milk
- High energy foods
- Vitamins
- Food for infants
- Comfort/stress foods