Storing Water during Hurricane Season

It’s critical to have clean water on hand in case of an emergency situation, like a sudden water contamination or a severe storm, flood, earthquake, or hurricane. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that unopened commercial bottle water is the safest and most reliable emergency water supply.” One of the benefits of having home water delivery from a company like Oasis Water Service is the ability to easily stockpile large amounts of water.

How Much Water Should Be Stored for Emergency Use?

The CDC and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) both recommend the following water storage guidelines:

Store one gallon of water per person, per day. If you live in a hot climate, or if there are pregnant women or sick people in your household, you should keep additional gallons on hand. If you have pets, they will each also need one gallon per day.
At the very minimum, store a three-day supply of water for each person and pet. If you can manage it, a two-week supply is ideal.
Make note of the expiration dates on commercially bottled water. Replace when necessary.
Keep bleach on hand for sanitizing. Store a bottle of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach to mix with water for cleaning and sanitizing.

Uses for Water During Emergencies

During a time when running water is not available to you, it’s extremely important to keep your hands and eating utensils clean in order to avoid catching or spreading disease. This is why you need to keep a bottle of household bleach stored along with your emergency water stockpile.

How to create a “hand washing station” for use in an emergency:

Fill a clean, food-safe container that has a spigot or other dispenser with clean water, preferably commercially bottled water.
Place the water dispenser on an easily-accessible surface with soap and paper towels close by.
Place a bucket or large bowl underneath the spigot to catch the water.
Keep a wastebasket nearby for discarding used paper towels.

Of course, you know how and when to wash your hands. However, when you don’t have access to running water, it’s doubly important to keep clean.

During an emergency, make sure everyone in your household washes his or her hands:

Before, during, and after preparing food
Before eating food
Before and after caring for someone who is sick
Before and after treating a cut or wound
After using the toilet
After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
After handling pet food or pet treats
After touching garbage

Keep dishes, cutlery, and other utensils clean with a mixture of safe water and bleach. You can also use this mixture to wipe down food preparation areas and other surfaces.