When the temperature is in the 90s and muggy air begins with a capital “M,” we aren’t really thinking of winter storms that may confine us to our homes, sometimes without power.

These hot summer days when we don’t have to worry about running out of fuel to heat our homes, are an ideal time to plan ahead, make a list and be ready.

As my favorite older relatives used to tell me when I was anxious for snow, “Don’t worry, winter will come, it always has.”

I think planning for winter is one of the least-likely things we want to do, now that summer has finally arrived. But given how quickly time goes by, and being an old Yankee, I truly have already marked a box “winter” and have started putting things into it for some cold day in the future.

Just think, all the stores are air-conditioned. Visit some of them, cool off, and pick up things you’ll need in a winter (or sometimes summer) disaster. Make sure to visit your local dollar store first, for they may have many of the items which will be useful. Most of them have a large selection of first aid equipment, batteries, paper products and much more.

Here’s what FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association) suggests you have when you can’t get out for three days and have no electricity:

– 3-day supply of nonperishable food that does not require cooking (canned goods & a regular non-electric can opener; crackers, peanut butter, prepackaged cooked meals)

– 3-day supply of water (1 gallon of water per person, per day)

– Portable, battery powered radio with extra batteries

– Flashlights with extra batteries

– First aid kit (see below)

– Cash

– Telephone that works if the electricity is off

– A safe way to heat food and water: camp stove, etc.

– A way to keep warm if the power is off: sleeping bags, extra blankets, etc.

– 3-day supply of your medicines on hand at all times – keep them in a zip-lock bag, zipped!

– Food and water for pets

Do you have a first aid kit? You might have most of the following items in your medicine cabinet, but it would be a good idea to assemble a first aid kit – one for your house (or to take with you) and one for the car. Here’s what the experts suggest:

(20) adhesive bandages, various sizes

.

(1) 5″ x 9″ sterile dressing.

(1) conforming roller gauze bandage.

(2) triangular bandages.

(2) 3 x 3 sterile gauze pads.

(2) 4 x 4 sterile gauze pads.

(1) roll 3″ cohesive bandage.

(2) germicidal hand wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

(6) antiseptic wipes.

(2) pair large medical grade non-latex gloves.

Adhesive tape, 2-inch width.

Anti-bacterial ointment.

Cold pack.

Scissors (small, personal).

Tweezers.

CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield.

Non-prescription drugs to include aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever, anti-diarrhea medication, antacid, etc. Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications.

I’d throw in a few packages of matches, too, in a waterproof container (an old Band-Aid can is good – do Band-Aids still come in cans?).

Safely stored water

Use thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers.

Make sure the water storage container you plan to use is of food grade quality, such as 2-liter soda bottles, with tight-fitting screw-cap lids. Milk containers are not recommended for drinking water because they do not seal well.

Never use a container that has held toxic substances.

Seal water containers tightly, label them and store in a cool, dark place.

Rotate water every six months. One way to do this is to keep a bottle in your refrigerator, for cold drinking water.

When it is empty, fill it and put it “at the back of the line” and put the next bottle in the refrigerator. (If you have bought water in a sealed contained, you can keep it safely up to a year, or as recommended by the bottler.)

Important Family Documents

Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container. Make sure someone else in the family knows where this is stored don’t forget to include your favorite photos!

– Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds

– Passports, social security cards, immunization records (name of doctor, too)

– Bank account numbers, credit card account numbers and companies

– Inventory of valuable household goods, important phone numbers

– Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)