LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As summer travels increase, so does the possibility of getting stuck on the side of the road. With each new season, it’s important to keep an updated emergency kit in the car.
“Any situation can happen,” said Emily Fay, the Lexington Emergency Management public information officer. “Especially in your car, in the summer, it gets hot, you overheat, the car overheats. You need to be prepared for whatever comes your way.”
Fay shared a time in her life when a home emergency kit came in handy.
“I grew up in Western Kentucky, and Hurricane Katrina sent a storm front over that stalled over my little neighborhood, she said. “It flooded the little creek, and so my whole neighborhood flooded.”
“We had an emergency kit with all of our important documents. My parents kept some wedding photos in there. When the flood waters started to rise, my parents just grabbed the tote, threw it in the car, put the dog in there, and were able to evacuate. Took them five minutes to get out.”
A survey from FinanceBuzz found that 58% of adults have emergency supplies in their cars. However, only 30% of adults are confident that their supplies will be good enough in an actual emergency. So, what goes into an emergency kit?
“You want to have the general basics in that kit,” Fay said. She displayed a first aid kit as one of the most important elements. “We’ve also got some water for your first aid kit. It’s usually recommended you have a gallon of water per person.”
The table of supplies also included a flashlight and emergency blankets.
“Of course it’s the summer, you’re not really going to need to keep all that body heat in place,” Fay said, noting the exception of a few cool nights. “They are reflective, so you can use them to signal passing cars if something happens.”
Extra clothing and nonperishable food items are also recommended. Emergency kits may also look a little different from person to person.
“You want to customize your emergency kit to what you need,” said Fay. “If you have small children with you, extra diapers, maybe a toy.”
Kits should be able to last up to 72 hours in any situation, whether on the road or at home. Emergency kits should also be updated seasonally throughout the year.
“A summer emergency kit and winter emergency kit are about the same,” Fay said, “but in the summer, you want to make sure you have extra water, a hat to keep the sun off you, maybe sunscreen if you’re prone to burning.”
To learn more about what elements should go into an emergency kit, visit https://fayettelepc.com/emergency-kits/
