I remember when I was nine years old, part of our roof was being blown off by a storm call Hurricane Donna.
It was September 1960 and it was my 1st experience with a hurricane.
That event caused 13 deaths in the Florida.
Since then I've been through many other hurricanes, but nothing like Hurricane Andrew.
Hurricane Andrew made landfall as a Category 5 storm.
Wind gusts at 177 MPH.
44 people died and there was over 25 billion dollars of damage.
More than 175,000 people were left homeless.
Those whose homes were still standing were not prepared for the aftermath.
No water, no food, no electricity, and worse of all no order.
As a law enforcement officer I worked twelve to fifteen-hour shifts, seven days a week for a year trying to catch up to the devastation.
The recent heavy rains that happened over Georgia and North Florida, which resulted in heavy flooding, causing mudslide, washed out roadways, power outages and water mains breaks, only demonstrates the need for advanced preparedness for these types of events.
It doesn't matter whether it is a hurricane, tornado, flood, snowstorm or any other type of disaster, preparing your home and your family to survive is paramount.
Today, there are many ways to accomplish this task.
Putting together a disaster readiness kit is a vital step in preparation for the unforeseen emergency or disaster.
It is important to have a bag that contains the following:

1. A three-day supply of water - at least one gallon of water per person, per day.
   
2. A three-day supply of freeze-dried foods ready to eat or requiring minimal water are preferred.
   
3. radio with extra batteries.
   
4. extra batteries and a flashlight
5. first aid kit
6. Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap,
7. Toothbrush and toothpaste etc.
   
8. Matches and a waterproof container to keep them dry.
   
9. A lantern with batteries
10. Emergency Whistle
11. Extra clothing
12. Kitchen utensils, plates and bowls and a manual can opener.
    
13. Special items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens, and hearing aid batteries etc.
    
14. Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
    
15. Sleeping bag or warm blanket
16. A pocket multi-function tool as well as a roll of duct tape, crowbar, hammer, staple gun, adjustable wrench and Bungee cords and heavy duty work gloves are also nice to have, but add extra weight.
    
17. Small bottle of liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification.
    
18. Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows or sheltering in place.
    
19. Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation or other suitable solution such as a shovel to dig a latrine.
    
20. A small stove (Colman makes a quality product).
    
21. Dust mask
22. 100' of paracord rope

For more information regarding these types of products visit Patriot Protective Gear for a complete source of available items to ensure your families safety and survival.
It's always better to be prepared.