Be Ready, Ivins

🧳 Ivins 96-Hour Comfort Kit

Ivins now recommends a 96-hour kit (formerly called a 72-hour kit) for comfort in an emergency away from home:

• Water: at least 5–6 gallons per person for 4 days. That's still short of the 1 gallon for drinking plus 1 gallon for hygiene each person needs daily, but weight matters.
• Food for 4+ days: canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup; juice instead of soda; powdered milk; cereal, crackers, granola, nuts, trail mix, jerky, and freeze-dried foods (these need extra water). Pack a can opener, multi-tool, utensils and paper towels.
• Clothes: a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, sturdy closed-toe shoes, gloves, and a fleece or coat.
• Medications: 5 days of prescriptions plus basic over-the-counter meds.
• Comfort: a blanket or sleeping bag, pillow, pad, folding camp chair, and a child's favorite toy.
• Hygiene and first aid, packed in zip bags. Shelter: a tent, tarp or plastic sheet, plus a daypack.

💧 Water storage (2 weeks)

• Local agencies advise storing 2 weeks of water.
• Drinking: 2 gal/person/day × 14 = 28 gal. Non-drinking (bathing, flushing, laundry): another 28 gal. Total: 56 gallons per person.
• Best container: new 5-gallon water-storage jugs. Avoid milk jugs, soda bottles, juice bottles, glass and metal.
• Store it somewhere cool, dark and dry, on shelves, and off bare concrete. Only stack containers made for stacking.

👪 Have a family plan (Ivins guide)

Plan for fire, flood, earthquake and wind, and also for “personal disasters” like job loss, serious illness, a death in the family, a pandemic, or civil unrest. Account for special needs: medical conditions, medications, mobility, and infants or elderly family members. Keep small-denomination cash, documents and photos in a fireproof, waterproof grab container. Prepare physically, since disasters mean more lifting and walking, and emotionally, by building coping skills. Use the OEPP form as your template.

🐕 Pets in a disaster

When sheltering in place, keep pets indoors and protected. In a wildfire, flash flood or tornado evacuation, pets should almost always go with you. But plan ahead: many Red Cross shelters don't allow pets, and a pet left outside may wander off, get hurt, or try to head home. Line up pet-friendly options before you need them.

🎒 72-hour kit

• Water: 1 gallon per person per day (3+ days, more in summer heat)
• Non-perishable food, manual can opener
• First aid kit, prescriptions, glasses
• Flashlight, radio, extra batteries, phone charger
• Copies of documents, cash
• Sturdy shoes, gloves, dust masks, whistle
• Pet and infant supplies

👪 Family plan

• Pick meeting places near home and outside the neighborhood
• Choose an out-of-area contact
• Know how to shut off gas, water and power
• Know your nearest Hub Box
• Sign up for Ivins Reverse 911 alerts
• Fill out the city's “Our Emergency Preparedness Plan” form