How to Prepare a First Aid Kit for a Hurricane

Preparing a well-stocked first aid kit for a hurricane could be a matter of life and death. Injuries related to a hurricane could be anything from a splinter to a snakebite. Your first aid kit for a hurricane is really just a "super-sized" first aid kit.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Begin by thinking of the injuries and accidents that could occur during and after a hurricane. Puncture wounds could come from flying objects or from stepping on a nail during cleanup. Lacerations can come from broken glass or a tin roof. If you can imagine the types of injuries, then you can prepare for them and stock the first aid kit accordingly.

2. Buy more than just bandages for the first aid kit; buy a box of sterile 4 by 4 bandages and a few rolls of gauze. At the same time, buy tape and elastic bandages. Sterile disposable gloves are important when applying a dressing to a wound also. You will need scissors to cut dressings or gauze to the size of the dressing.

3. Include hydrogen peroxide, sterile saline, alcohol or antiseptic to cleanse the wound area before applying any dressing. Alcohol can be used to sterilize scissors or a sewing needle in case of emergency, but it may burn on an open wound. Peroxide helps to bubble out any minute foreign objects from the wound. Antibiotic creams or ointments should be applied to the dressing and not directly to the wound. An antibiotic spray for children can be soothing for a child's scrape or a pet's skin rash.

4. Stock clean white washcloths and towels near your emergency first aid kit. They will not be sterile but can help stem bleeding when necessary and offer a clean surface for applying bandages or dressings. Keep a sterile needle and non-dyed cotton thread in your kit in case of dire emergencies, you may need to stitch a wound in case you have no access to medical care. Super glue can be used to close an open wound that is not too deep. Make sure it is a new tube and use very sparingly. This should only be done in a dire emergency as well.

5. Include prescription medications needed by any family member, with enough medication for a one-week supply. Also include over the counter pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen. You may also want to include over the counter medications for diarrhea, upset stomach and insect bites. Snake bite kits are available but their effectiveness has been highly debated; however in an emergency a snake bite kit is better than nothing.

Tips & Warnings

• Include pet medications for all of your pets.
• Add sunscreen lotion for those outdoor cleanup jobs.
• Include mosquito repellent in your kit.
• Add allergy medications and gels, including cortisone cream.
• Buy a good muscle rub for the sore muscles you will have from clean up.
• Never use peroxide and antiseptic together, it can cause a reaction.
• Never suture unless it is a dire emergency; try applying direct pressure first.
• Never use super glue unless absolutely necessary and medical care is hours away.
• Never directly rub the wound itself, whether with antibiotic cream or dressing; it can embed foreign objects further into the wound.

Resources

• This is a comprehensive website for hurricane information.
• This is the official site for disaster related information and emergency kits.
• Great help for victims of a hurricane can be found here.