It can take several days or weeks for government services and assistance to reach you and your family depending on the severity of the disaster and your geographic location. An emergency kit is vital to sustaining your family after a disaster. Use this checklist to build your emergency supply kit over time by adding a few items each week or month. Many emergency preparedness products are eligible for Virginia’s tax-free weekend held annually in August. The 3-day sales tax holiday starts the first Friday in August at 12:01 a.m. and ends the following Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Regularly replace items that go bad such as water, food, medication and batteries, and remember to keep in mind your family’s unique needs as you build your kit.

FOOD + SUPPLIES

MEDICAL NEEDS

PROTECTIVE GEAR + CLOTHING

HYGIENE + SANITATION

COMFORT + PRICELESS ITEMS

TOOLS + SAFETY ITEMS

EMERGENCY FUNDS

CRITICAL PAPERWORK

PET-FRIENDLY CHECKLIST

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Your emergency communication plan should include extra cellular phone charging devices and batteries as well as additional communication tools: AM/FM radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with additional batteries are recommended.

HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION

Write down phone numbers and email addresses for everyone in your household and other contacts including extended family, friends, neighbors or coworkers. This information will help you reconnect with others even if you don’t have your mobile device with you or if the battery runs down. If you have a household member who is deaf or hard of hearing, or who has a speech disability and uses traditional or video relay service (VRS), include information on how to connect through relay services on a landline phone, mobile device or computer.

OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT

Identify someone outside of your community or state who can act as a central point of contact to help your household reconnect. In a disaster, it may be easier to make a longdistance phone call because local phone lines can be overwhelmed or impaired.

SCHOOL, CHILDCARE, CAREGIVER AND WORKPLACE EMERGENCY PLANS

Make sure your household members with phone and email accounts are signed up for alerts and warnings from their school, workplace and local government agencies including: police, fire, ambulance services, public health department, public works, public utilities, school system and your local emergency management office. Following these agencies on social media will provide you with an additional avenue to access convenient and critical information.

OTHER IMPORTANT NUMBERS AND INFORMATION

Write down, store or have convenient access to phone numbers for emergency services, utility and service providers, medical providers, veterinarians, insurance companies and other critical services.

Visit data.gov/disasters/apps-tools/ for a list of apps and tools you can use during severe weather and other disasters!