Get a Kit
Prepare for Disaster
You won’t know where you will be when a disaster occurs, so advanced preparation is key. ReadyOC will help you prepare emergency kits for your home, work, and car.
When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, and shelter. However, your disaster kit may also include other essential items that your family may need in the event of a disaster such as prescription medicine, diapers, or spare contact lenses.
Since you may need to survive on your own after a disaster, you’ll need enough supplies to last at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, a week, or even longer. You may need to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you.
Disaster may also strike when you’re at work or traveling, so make sure each of your vehicles contains a "go bag" – a portable, and sometimes smaller, emergency kit for your car. Consider items necessary for immediate safety if you must evacuate quickly while in, or near, your car. Assemble these items in a backpack or other type of container that you can lift and carry quickly. Each member of your family should have a “go bag” with an identification tag.
Take Action!
Here are some helpful tips on how you can prepare your own emergency kit at home!
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Watch the Build a Kit Video to learn how to build a basic kit.
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Download our ReadyOC Emergency Preparedness Kit checklist
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Purchase a Kit online at The American Red Cross of Orange County, if you don’t have time to make your own.
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Review our list of appropriate food for your emergency kit.
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Download a Weekly Disaster Supplies Checklist from the American Red Cross of Orange County.