If hurricane Sandy and her aftermath have made anything clear, it’s that you can’t be too prepared for a natural disaster. Even if the storm passes your home, the aftermath could leave you stranded without power and other services. Here are five ways you can use your garage to equip yourself for the event of a disaster.
Water storage. Storing water takes space, since the recommended amount is one gallon per person per day, for at least three days. If you have the room in your garage, you can keep jugs of water on a shelf, or even a large water barrel. If you have potable water on hand, you’ve already met your most crucial survival need.
Food storage. You can purchase a bucket of emergency meals from bulk discount stores such as Costco. These buckets are stackable, and hold up to 330 meals. This is much easier than setting up a pantry of individual items.
Gasoline. Depending on the severity of the disaster, your area could be left without access to gasoline. You may want to store extra gasoline in your garage to give you the option of mobility in the event of a crisis. Make sure to store your fuel safely, with room for expansion, and use a stabilizer if you are not rotating it out.
Disaster Supplies Kit. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a recommended disaster supplies kit, found on their site . Some of the items, such as food and water, are covered above, but the rest you can keep in a storage container for easy, quick access.
Organization. The last thing you want in a power outage is to be fumbling around in a dark garage, looking for a flashlight or batteries. Keep your garage organized so you know right where to go to find what you need.
