The First Line of Defense: A Reliable Garage Door
Your garage door is one of your home's largest moving parts and a key barrier against weather and unauthorized entry. During an emergency, its role becomes even more vital. A door that is stuck open can leave your home and its contents vulnerable, while a door that refuses to open can prevent you from evacuating in your vehicle or accessing life-saving equipment stored inside. Before you stock your garage with supplies, it's wise to consider the condition of the door itself. A door that operates smoothly and securely is the foundation of any home emergency plan that involves the garage.
Food and water
Choose supplies that keep for a long time and need no heating or refrigeration, so they are still useful during a power outage.
- 1. Canned food: fruits, vegetables, soups and stews that can be eaten without cooking. Keep a manual can opener with them.
- 2. Snacks: non-perishable cereal, granola bars, dried fruit and crackers with long shelf lives.
- 3. Baby food and formula: useful even without an infant at home, since a neighbor or relative may need it.
- 4. Potable water: sealed drinking water for every member of the household, rotated before it expires.
In-home essentials
These items help with light, hygiene, warmth and small repairs while you wait out a storm or outage.
- 5. A fully stocked first aid kit: bandages, wrap bandages, alcohol prep pads, iodine and pain relievers, not just a small car kit.
- 6. Solar-powered lanterns: a safer choice than candles, which can start house fires.
- 7. Flashlights: check that bulbs work and keep spare batteries and bulbs with them.
- 8. Sanitary supplies: toilet paper, tissues, wet wipes, trash bags, buckets and hygiene products.
- 9. Whistles: so family members can signal for help if needed.
- 10. Clothespins: for hang-drying clothes by hand during a long outage.
- 11. Extra blankets and clothing: spare clothes for each family member and extra blankets for winter emergencies.
- 12. A sewing kit: scissors, needles, thread, buttons and safety pins for quick clothing repairs.
- 13. Toothpaste and toothbrushes: basic hygiene that also doubles as a small scrubbing tool.
Outdoor must-haves
Weather is the most common reason these supplies get used, so keep them where you can reach them without moving the car.
- 14. Sandbags: help keep flood water out during heavy rain, and the sand can add traction to an icy driveway.
- 15. Shovels and snow shovels: a few sturdy shovels, including a metal one, cover snow, debris and many other jobs.
- 16. Rock salt: melts ice and helps free a stuck vehicle. Once opened, store it in a lidded bucket to keep moisture out.