Survival kits help you prepare for the event of a power outage, an earthquake, a life-altering pandemic - and not only the swine flu or bird flu - a natural disaster like a  volcanic ash fall, or any life-altering event you can't foresee that can cause people to lose power or access to food and water. For you and your family to survive, you have to be ready for disaster when it comes, ideally with one or more survival kits equipped with food, water, first aid, and other necessary emergency supplies. Learn here what supplies should go into emergency preparedness kits to help you make a survival checklist.

What goes into your personal survival kit depends on:

• What kind of disaster you're preparing for
• Your geographical location
• Your personal situation
  

It's important that you find out the official procedures and advisories for disasters likely to occur in your area. Know what you're prepared for so you can plan for all contingencies.

The information below covers what is generally needed in most emergency situations. You'll find a survival kit checklist, instructional videos for survival preparedness in the event of hurricane, winter storm, tornadoes, volcanoes and other natural disasters as well as numerous other potentially life-threatening events. A list of helpful emergency and disaster preparedness links is included as well as current news items.

Good luck getting ready for a disaster - and here's hoping you never need to use your survival kits.

• FEMA recommends you stock your survival preparedness kits with enough survival supplies to last at least 3 days, and up to two weeks.
• Have an escape plan ready. Decide where your household members will meet in the event an emergency happens unexpectedly. Form a plan for where to go if people are out of the house, at work or at school. Form a secondary plan if the first one is not possible to implement.
• Have a communication plan ready. Make sure everybody knows not to risk their lives in order to communicate with loved ones. Lay out a strategy for restoring broken communication lines in case you're all separated.
• Train your household in emergency readiness through discussions, literature and drills. Review regularly.
• Learn first aid and CPR.
• Assume you'll be without electricity. Consider all the features of life you may take for granted, and plan for them. No Internet may be available, for example.
• Avoid dulling your alertness during a disaster. Don't drink alcohol or take tranquilizers--avoid antihistamines, if possible. If the environment is cold, stay warm to avoid hypothermia and the consequent mental disorientation. Keeping alert can be the difference between surviving and not surviving.
• Learn the safe way to shut off utilities--electrical circuits, the water valve, or natural gas--that may become hazards during certain types of emergencies. Contact the utility for instructions on how to safely turn off utilities.
• Replace batteries, food, water, and other supplies when they expire.
• Learn all safety instructions for all emergency equipment, such as gas generators.
• Keep any supply of gasoline away from children.
• Make sure your kids know how to safely handle any emergency equipment they may use.

You need breathable air to live, period. Furthermore, some disasters make the air breathable, but hazardous, such as during earthquakes or volcanic ashfalls. For your suvival kit, keep protective dust masks designed to filter out the hazards likely to contaminate the air in your region.

You need water to drink. Each person in your home needs one gallon of water per day--half is for drinking, half is for sanitation.

Have enough water to last your family and anyone staying in your home during an emergency for at least three days (72 hours).

• Make sure the drinking water is potable.
• Buy it bottled.
• Keep it sealed closed.
• Don't use tap water.
• Don't bottle it yourself--there are serious safety risks of contamination associated with this.
• Check the expiration dates and replace the water when they've passed.
  

Sanitation items include those necessary to wash, disinfect, maintain personal hygiene and go to the bathroom. Handle wastes using plastic buckets and trash bags, if necessary.

The health supplies you keep depend on the people in your household. Keep a supply of prescription and over-the-counter medications used by those in your household, including pets, in your survival preparedness kit.  There are many items that can go into a fully outfitted first aid kit, but at minimum, always have a first aid kit handy that is stocked with

• medical tape
• bandages
• painkillers
• sterile pads
• gloves
• triple-antibiotic ointment
• first aid manual
  

Battery-powered light sources such as torches and flashlights are helpful in an emergency. So are a battery-powered radio and whistle.   Keep multiple flashlights available.  Make sure you stock spare batteries and regularly change the batteries.

A signal flare is especially advised in car emergency kits or in home survival kits where disasters that may make you difficult to spot occur.

Do not assume your cell phone will be operable--quite often in emergencies, cellphones cannot get signals.

Keep an assembly of other supplies on hand for various functions, including:

• ABC small fire extinguisher in case of fire
• Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
  
• Pliers or wrench to turn off any utilities (follow your public utilities safety guidelines)
• Cash, including change, as ATMs may not be within reach or functional
  
• Old pairs of glasses, if you have them
  
• Entertainment items for kids and adults may include paper, pens and books.  While these may seem like a luxury, they can keep the members of your household from going stir-crazy.
  

The members of your household may need unique items, particularly if they have a disability or health problems.  Make sure they are well prepared for.  It doesn't hurt to ask each person what they could not do without and try to include these items in your survival kit.

• emergency preparedness manual
• CPR / first aid manual
• first aid kit
  
• dust mask
• ABC fire extinguisher
  
• carbon monoxide sensor (installed in your home, not as part of a kit)
  
• drinking water (bottled at the factory in long-term storage containers) - 1 gallon per day per person
  
• paper or plastic cups
• heavy or warm blankets (not light cotton, not electric)
  
• gloves
• numerous pairs of socks
• comfortable walking shoes
• raincoat
• waterproof hat
• waterproof boots
  
• extra clothes
• paper plates
• plastic utensils
  
• 3 day's supply of emergency food rations
  
• can opener (manual)
  
• plastic sheet
• duct tape
• rope
• extra set of keys
  
• soap
• toilet paper
  
• hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol disinfectant
• disinfectant wipes
• diapers and diaper wipes (if you have kids)
• pet supplies
  
• garbage bags
  
• plastic bucket with lid
• any prescription medications needed and the doctors' written prescriptions
  
• battery powered radio
• extra radio batteries
• signal flare
  
• whistle
• battery powered flashlight and extra batteries
  
• battery powered lantern and extra batteries
  
• knife
  
• pliers or wrench
• vital records
• ID cards
• insurance records
  
• cash / cashier's checks
• telephone calling card
• glasses
• cell phone (but there may be no signal, so don't let this be your sole means of communication)
• telephone number list
  
• personal care item: toothpaste, toothbrush, towels, deodorant, etc.
• entertainment items

For the emergency kit for your car:

• Road maps (local and national) with travel route
• Known destination
• List of alternate routes and places to stop if traffic is prohibitive
• extra fuel
• signal flares
• jumper cable
  

Also see below for the latest news and feeds on emergencies and natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes and more.