Demand Spikes For Emergency Kits

Before Hurricane Katrina hit, some extra water and fresh batteries seemed like enough to ride out a storm. But following the recent disaster, more and more people are taking emergency preparedness a lot more seriously.

Since Katrina, demand for personal survival kits in other disaster-prone areas has spiked,

"They're actually somewhat panicking," says Sherri Heitz, founder and chairperson of Quake Kare in Moorpark, Calif.

Demand at the company went from 25 orders a day for the family home survival package to 500 orders a day, Bowen says. There are kits to carry in cars, and kits to keep pets alive.

"I think we all thought that, at least if it was a natural disaster, somehow, somebody was going to come take our hand and take us to safety," Heitz says. "And (it's) unbelievable that it can take a week or so."

The rush to stock up, Bowen says, isn't just a reaction to Katrina. In California, it's also an acknowledgement that a "big one" is very likely. A catastrophic earthquake is expected to strike within the next 20 years.

A worst-case scenario has a big quake killing 18,000 people in Los Angeles and leaving 700,000 homeless. As with Katrina, Bowen says, long-term homelessness would be a huge problem.

"That's an issue," agrees Richard Andrews, the former head of the California Office of Emergency Services, "that we could well face in the aftermath of a major earthquake, particularly if it affects a metropolitan area."

The old rule was to prepare to go it alone for three days, Bowen says. But Katrina has changed that.

Maria Shriver, wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, says, "We can't rely on the government to be there 24, 48, or even 72 hours later."

It's uncertain, says Bowen, if the federal government's response to Katrina will force California emergency officials to re-think their disaster plans. And it's the uncertainty that's making personal survival kits so popular.

One couple taking that to heart is Darren and Julie Irby of Falls Church, Va.

He's a member of the Red Cross Rapid Response Team that helped in Katrina's immediate aftermath.

Darren

"What's really important is a battery-powered radio," he says, "so you can listen to local law enforcement and any instructions that may be coming through in your local area. And then, obviously, some food and some water. A kind of standard is a gallon per person, per day. We encourage everybody to have at least a three-day supply inside their kit."

Irby suggests keeping the kits where they'll be easy to access.

"We keep ours in the attic and … the basement," Irby says. "We have a three-level house, and so … no matter where we are in the house, we can sort of — we're not too far away from our kits, and we can grab them and go.

"The other really important point is that you can personalize your kit. What I just talked about are the real essential items that you should have, but what's great is that whatever you're going to feel most comfortable with in terms of being normal, or as normal as you can be in a disaster, you should throw in your kit."

Julie Kirby also recommends having copies of important documents.

"So, birth certificates, copies of our driver's license, copies of insurance papers, just so we have proof of where we live, who we are, those kind of important things that sometimes you forget to have during a disaster," she says. "You might forget your Social Security number when you're dealing with a tragedy. So those are good things to have in your kit."

The Irby's have a 19-month-old son, and Julie says they keep his needs in mind for kit contents.

"Obviously, diapers and wipes, but also things like pain medication for babies. Clearly, they don't take the same kind of medications that we do, so that's really important for him. And also toys because, although you think of the emergency items, he needs to feel as normal as he can and he needs to feel safe. So, as long as he's got toys and blankets, then he can feel safe."

Click here to see a complete guide from the Red Cross to preparing your family for disasters.

Emergency kits are available, among many other places, at Target and The Home Depot.