Shelter Rooms

When selecting a shelter room/s (the area where you shelter in place) for weather-related natural disasters, determine what room/s has hardened walls, is without windows, and can communicate with first responders. Time permitting, leave messages throughout the structure advising rescuers where you are located, including reflective tape directing them to the shelter room. Place reflective tape strips saying HERE on the shelter door/s.

Due to flying debris, which could hinder evacuation/rescue, have as few items as needed. Shelter rooms should be prepared in two different parts of the home if possible.

Shelter room logistics

• A three-day supply of dried food or MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), water, a spoon-fork combination “spork,” and, if needed, a hand crank can opener.

• Prescription medication. A soft-sided cooler is needed if medication needs to be frozen.

• Emergency Medical trauma pack, including tourniquet.

• If your safe room doesn’t include a toilet, you will need toilet paper/wet wipes, with a {hunting} portable toilet bucket or five-gallon paint bucket lined with kitty litter and industrial trash bags.

• Flashlight with extra batteries.

• An external battery pack and your phone’s battery fully charged and have a phone charger with a phone cable.

• Hand crank Hertz-Amrstrong-Marconi (HAM) radio.

• Eye protection, construction/gardening gloves, and motorcycle/bicycle helmet for each person.

• Pillows and blankets.

• When all batteries run out, place glow sticks in a clear milk jug full of water for extra lighting.

• Decide now whether you will include any pets in your shelter room. You will need additional food, water, and a space for their waists. I understand most shelter room stays are only hours at a time, but in a natural disaster, you may be required to stay over 24 hours. Remember the reason for shelter rooms.

Note: If your shelter room is a bathroom and you wish to place young children in the bathtub, lay out soft toys (stuffed dolls, paperback coloring books with crayons, etc.) on a full-length blanket with pillows in the tub.