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Monsoon season brings relief from the scorching heat, but it also brings with it the problems of heavy rains, waterlogging and long power cuts. Many times, due to torrential rains, the streets become a sea and going to the market becomes completely impossible. In such a situation, if there is no prior preparation at home, then a small thing can become a big problem. To keep your family safe and tension-free this monsoon season, it makes the most sense to prepare a ‘Monsoon Emergency Kit’ at home. Let us know about those important things which must be in your house this season.
1. Clean drinking water and dry ration (Emergency Food Supply)
During the rainy season, dirty water often starts coming into the water supply line of the Municipal Corporation or the supply stops due to waterlogging. Therefore, store clean drinking water in the house for at least 3 to 4 days. Along with this, keep such dry ration which does not need to be cooked or kept in the fridge, like biscuits, energy bars, roasted gram, dry fruits, makhana and instant noodles. If you are keeping canned food, do not forget to include a manual can opener in the kit.
2. First Aid Kit and necessary medicines (Medical First Aid)
As the weather changes, problems like cold, cough, viral fever, dengue, malaria or stomach upset become common. Keep bandages, antiseptic liquid, ORS packets, painkillers and a thermometer in your emergency kit. If there is an elderly person, a child or a patient with a chronic disease (like diabetes or blood pressure) in the house, then bring their medicines for at least two weeks in advance.
3. Torch, extra battery and power bank
Power outages due to strong storms and heavy rains are common. In such a situation, instead of relying on the mobile flashlight, keep a good and bright torch, emergency LED light and extra battery with you. Always keep your power bank 100% fully charged so that even in case of power cut, your mobile remains operational and you can stay connected with your loved ones.
4. Security of important government and bank documents
In case of flood or water logging in houses, the biggest loss occurs to the documents. Keep your important documents like identity cards, insurance papers, bank passbooks, wills and medical records safe in a waterproof folder or ziplock plastic pouch. Apart from this, save a clean digital copy (scanned photo) of all these on your phone or cloud storage like Google Drive.
5. Cleaning and personal hygiene items
Due to accumulation of water all around during monsoon, the risk of infection, fungus and dangerous bacteria increases manifold. Be sure to include anti-bacterial soap, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, mosquito repellent cream, tissue paper and sanitary pads in your kit. Keep strong garbage bags nearby to properly dispose of wet household waste.
6. Waterproof Covers for Rain Gear and Gadgets
If you have to go out in the rain for some important work or emergency, then umbrella, raincoat and waterproof shoes should be in front of the house so that you do not have to search for them. Additionally, use ziplock pouches or plastic covers to keep mobile phones, laptops and other valuable electronic gadgets safe.
7. A physical list of emergency contacts
In difficult times, people often do not remember important numbers due to nervousness or face huge problems when the phone gets discharged. Therefore, write the emergency helpline numbers of the local administration, ambulance, nearest hospital, family doctor, police station and electricity department on a diary or paper and stick it at a place in the house where everyone can see.