Why Water Needs To Be Part of Your Emergency Kits

Whether you’re preparing for an impending storm, flood, or hurricane; or, you’re simply trying to stay ready for when an unknown disaster strikes -- water is arguably the most essential component of an emergency kit. Today, we’re going to look at some of the things you should be thinking about when it comes to stockpiling your emergency water supply.

Staying Stocked With Water

After a natural disaster, the infrastructure that delivers safe, clean drinking water to your home and neighborhood may become compromised. That’s just a fact, due to the complex network of pipes and filtration systems required to give you on-tap access to that delicious stream of H2O that we so often take for granted.

That means that when an earthquake, hurricane, storm, or other emergency arrives, you might have only highly contaminated water… or potentially no response at all when you turn on your faucet. As such, one of the absolute most important things you can ever keep in reserve for yourself and your family in the event of an emergency is an ample supply of drinking water.

Keep in mind that, to be comfortable, most teenagers and adults require about two quarts of water a day. When you factor in the stress that comes along with surviving a traumatic disaster scenario, two quarts begins to look optimistic. Therefore, you should stockpile as much water as feasible, and even consider keeping some frozen in your freezer as well.

Use What You Have And Don’t Ration It

If a disaster does strike and your family begins to dip into your supply of bottled water, the prevailing wisdom from disaster agencies is that you should absolutely drink if you’re thirsty. Do not ration water unless specifically instructed to do so by emergency personnel. The reason for this is that our bodies and minds are under a ton of stress immediately following a disaster, and require water to keep from dehydrating and becoming faint.

Early on in the moments after the emergency hits is when it’s most critical to stay hydrated. If you or your loved ones are thirsty, let them drink as much as they want. Survival experts suggest that it’s better to use what you have and worry about finding more later -- since, as time passes after the initial event, rescue teams and responders have more of a chance to organize and distribute additional bottles, as well.

Boil And/Or Test All Additional Water

In the event that you don’t get access to more bottles, and you or your family has drank through all the bottles you’ve stockpiled, you’ll need to make sure that you boil and/or test all water you drink until you have access to the next bottled source. Boiling kills most of the contaminants in compromised tap water that can make you ill; and although it’s not too fun to drink warm water after you’ve boiled it, you’ll be glad you did when you avoid some of the nasty (and potentially serious) complications from unclean water.

By sticking to this regimen, you’ll have a chance to stay alive and in relative comfort in the first few hours, days, or even weeks after a serious and major emergency. We hope that this article has inspired to to stash away a few cases of bottled water, should such a day arrive.