Once you have your basic emergency kit in hand you should begin to expand your supplies so that you have enough food and water on hand to last you two weeks. This is the next step in emergency preparedness. This is an important step because it can take that long to have your power restored. The relief supplies may be slow in reaching you or you may require certain items that they will not provide.
The first step you should complete in expanding your supplies is to have two weeks of water on hand for each person in your family. If you have pets you will want to store additional water for them. If you are in area where it will likely be hot you may want to store additional extra water.
The next thing you should store is food. The ideal foods are easy to prepare with minimal heating. Canned foods are the best in these types of situations. You will want to store foods that you won’t need to refrigerate after opening, since you may not have the ability to do this. So unless your family could eat a number ten can of green beans in one meal, you should store cans that come in smaller portion sizes.
You will want to store the means to heat your home, and food for the two weeks. If you live in a hot area you may want to store ways to keep cool during the hot times. Spray bottles and battery-powered fans might help. You should also plan your wardrobe according to the weather conditions.
The two-week supply does not need to be as portable as the emergency kits. It is designed for use at home while waiting for your power to be restored. You can use the two-week supplies after the immediate crisis is over, but before everything has returned to normal. You do not need to purchase your entire supply at once, but can spread it over time to ease the cost of supplies