September is typically a mild weather month, but unfortunately it's also a time when hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions can pop up. With that in mind, it's a good time to review the items you should keep in your emergency kit.
Some of the items the Red Cross says you absolutely need include:
* A plan for your pet. Evacuate early with your pets. Have food, pet carriers, leashes, and water.
* Water, one gallon per day per person; three days worth for an evacuation.
* Non-perishable food items, same guidelines as for water. Take a can opener.
* Flashlight
* Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, preferably a NOAA weather radio
* Extra batteries
* First aid kit that includes prescription medicines
* Cell phones with chargers
* Extra cash (remember that ATMs and other machines often don't work) and credit cards
* Documents, including insurance papers, ID, deed or lease to the home, proof of address, medication list
* Emergency contact info
* Emergency blankets
* Map of the area (cell phone service, including GPS, could be lost)
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
