The relentless 2024 hurricane season seems unwilling to give Florida a break. After Helene came Milton, and The Isom Insurance Group wants to address hurricane and overall safety preparation that could help keep Polk County, FL, residents safer. Today, we’ll discuss emergency kits for your automobile.
Custom Emergency Kits
Home emergency kits get all the attention, especially during hurricane season, but your car, truck, minivan, SUV, boat, or RV needs an emergency kit, too. Your kit should address the many natural hazards that threaten the state of Florida, not just hurricanes.
This auto emergency kit includes items the home kit doesn’t, like emergency blankets, flares, bottled water for drinking, and jugs of water for the radiator. As strange as it might sound, carrying a life jacket in a Florida auto emergency kit can save lives because, during hurricane season, the state is prone to flash floods and rising water floods.
Essential Emergency Kit Items for Your Vehicle
Your auto emergency kit needs more items than the one you create at home. When you need your emergency kit on the go, it must provide the necessities for any situation. Let’s consider the essentials that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend:
- Three gallons of water per person
- Three days of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank NOAA Weather Radio
- Sleeping bag or Mylar thermal blanket
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
- Whistle for signaling for help
- Dust mask
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape
- Personal sanitation items, including moist disinfecting towelettes, garbage bags, and bag ties
- Manual can opener
- Local maps and a road atlas
- Cloth face coverings/safety masks
- Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
- Flares
- Rope
- Fire extinguisher
- Waterproof matches
- Paper and pencil
- Soap or hand sanitizer
- Prescription eyeglasses, contacts, and contact lens solution
- Cash or traveler’s checks
- Prescription medications
- Common non-prescription medications, including pain relievers, antacids, anti-diarrhea medication, etc.
If you have or travel with children, include items relevant to their age, such as infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream for babies, and puzzle books, reading books, or portable games for older children. If you travel with your pet in the vehicle, include water and pet food. Make copies of important legal documents, such as your identification, insurance policies, and bank account numbers, and store them in a waterproof container.
Storing Your Auto Emergency Kit for Easy Access
Organize the essential items in airtight clear plastic bags and label the contents. Place all bags into one or two plastic bins with lids or a duffel bag. Store this kit within reach of the driver’s seat without exiting the vehicle. If your car features seats, you can adjust them to fold down from within, and you can store them in the trunk area. In older cars without this feature, store it on the floor of the backseat.
Contact Our Agency Today
Make your automotive emergency kit before Polk County, FL faces its next emergency. Contact The Isom Insurance Group for an auto insurance review. Let us help you customize your insurance policy to cover the perils faced by Floridians. Contact us today.