What P.E.I. residents should put in emergency kits

With Prince Edward Island expected to be impacted by Hurricane Dorian, the province and the City of Charlottetown are reminding residents of the importance of having a 72-hour emergency-preparedness plan.

Environment Canada has warned that severe winds and rainfall couldhave major impacts for P.E.I. with most regions in the Maritimes experiencing some tropical storm force windsover the weekend.

It's important Islanders and visitors are prepared for emergencies year-round for things such as hurricanes, flooding and other events that could cause a loss of electricity,city officials said in a release.

People should have a 72-hour emergency kit and share its locationwith everyone in thehome or business, the release said.

Here is a list of suggested items to put into an emergency kit.

1. Food and water

Prepare a threeto seven day supply of water andnon-perishable food items such as dried andcanned foods,and don't forget amanual can opener.

Make afamily emergency planand prepare an emergency kit together. Don't forget to plan for your pets by buying food and water to last them a few days also.

Keep your pet inside during severe weather and never leave a pet outside or tethered during a storm, a release from the province said.

2. Medicine

Have prescription and non-prescription medicines, a fully stocked first aid kit on hand as well as toiletries and some hand sanitizer to cut down on water use.

"If the storm is coming and the power goes out pharmacies may not be open, so it is a friendly reminder just to make sure that all of your medications are up to date and that you have pills to get through the weather," saidJason Johnston pharmacy manager at Murphy's Queen Street Pharmacy.

Usually ahead of storms Johnston sees a lot of people come in to refill their prescriptions.

"That's just good planning on their part," he said.

3. Baby supplies

Those with newborns or young children should have a 72-hour supply of formula, diapers and other essential baby supplies on hand.

4. Light and communication

Have extra batteries for flashlights and radios to hear any emergency updates.

Make sure there are candles as well as matches or a lighter in your home and charge up thosecell phones.

Jamie Lewis is the manager at Home Hardware inCharlottetown and said when storms are about to hit the store sells a lot of "emergency power failure items.

"Like candles, lamps, batteries, flashlights those kind of things are part of the big sellers for us," he said.

Usually the store stays stocked on those items, but they can get lowif a storm forms in short notice, Lewis said, and some people wait until last minute to buy items.

"I know everybody should have an emergency preparedness kit in their homes, not everybody does.They wait until they need it to get it for sure," he said.

5. Evacuation

Prepare blankets and a change of clothing for each member of the home and have cash on hand in case of an evacuation.

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