By Linn Behling Hughes in collaboration with Brian Murnahan

Holiday shopping can be stressful. But it doesn’t compare to the stress and uncertainty of being unprepared during an emergency. This holiday season, the American Red Cross North Texas Region encourages you to help give your loved ones peace of mind and get them something for their disaster preparedness kit.

“People need basic supplies to survive on their own for at least three days,” said Chief Disaster Officer Katrina Farmer, Red Cross North Texas Region. “When a flood hits, like in the Panhandle this year, the Red Cross and its partners provide resources to ease hardships, but having your medication, food for your pets and vital papers will help people bounce back faster after the disaster.”

An all-time high of 25 billion-dollar disasters ravaged communities nationwide in 2023. Every year in North Texas, we see countless natural disasters, from tornadoes to floods to ice storms and more. Make sure your family and friends are prepared for whatever the weather brings. Building an emergency essentials kit can make good gifts:

1.    Emergency radio with hand crank or solar panel – Hand crank radios keep people informed on what is happening. Many of these radios can now offer a place to charge a cell phone or other devices with either a hand crank or solar panel.

2.    Power bank to recharge cell phones and other essentials – Power banks can be charged in advance and stored for a disaster. These power banks help by bridging the charge gap that cell phones will have if power is lost for 72 or more hours.

3.    Portable solar panels and chargers and rechargeable batteries – In some cases, it may be a good idea to have a solar panel that can be used to charge your power banks, while in others, having rechargeable
batteries could be of great help. So be prepared with both if possible.

4.    Backup power cords for your devices – You probably know where your power cords are, but if your home was flooded or burned, you might not find them, so have a set in your emergency preparedness
kit.

5.    Kinetic or shakable rechargeable flashlight – A kinetic or shakable flashlight is charged by motion, much like a crank radio. The light can be set whether you have a power bank or charger.

6.    Camp stove or solar oven – You have at least three days of food as part of your everyday emergency preparedness kit. In many cases, that food is not as edible as it could be if cooked or warmed up, so
having a stove on hand is a great choice.

7.    Water purifiers or water filters – During some disasters, the water provided may require that you boil your water to ensure it is safe to drink. Similarly, if the need arises, you may want to have water purifiers and water filters to help provide safe drinking water.

8. Solar-powered high-power inverter – To keep life a little more comfortable, you can include a high-power solar inverter in your kit. These can run tools and small appliances and be recharged
with so