100 Items That Will Disappear After An Emergency
These are at least 100 items that will disappear after an emergency at the very least at your local grocery or big box store. Can you picture the empty store shelves after a disaster?
I have seen them after a flooding episode here in Southern Utah. Luckily, only the bottled water shelves were empty, but you can imagine if we had a major emergency.
I’m hoping as you read this list you will think of the things that you will want to stock in your home so you are better prepared. You don’t have to store everything on this list, just the things that you would miss if the roads and highways shut down.
There may be over the counter medications and personal hygiene products, to name a few. We sometimes think we will stock up next month, I get it, I really do. I get nervous when I get down to three cases of toilet paper from Costco.
Yes, I have both cloth wipes and baby wipes. But what if the water is turned off for days or possibly weeks. Please visualize the grocery store near your home totally empty in two hours, yes two hours.
Several months ago they showed the shelves at a store in Hawaii with storm Lane on its way to the islands. Yes, the shelves were empty. YIKES!
My point is this, please do not be one of those families that must stand in line to get water bottles from the city or country building.
Disappear In An Emergency
- Water Bottles
- Water Filters
- Matches (strike anywhere type)
- Diapers
- Baby Wipes
- Diaper Rash Ointment
- Toilet Paper
- Kleenex
- Menstrual Supplies
- Monistat (yeast infections)
- Cranberry Vitamins (UTI infections)
- Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
- Haircare Supplies
- Canned Food
- Frozen Food
- Dog Food
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Coffee
- Alcohol
- Charcoal
- Gasoline Containers
- Coleman Fuel
- Coleman Stoves/Cooking Stoves
- Propane Canisters
- Hand Can Openers
- Honey/Sugar/White and Brown
- Yeast
- Wheat
- Wheat Grinder
- Large silver bowl to make bread
- Pancake Mix (or supplies to make from scratch)
- Baking Supplies (flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, etc.)
- Spices
- Wash Buckets/Washing Supplies
- Vitamins
- Aluminum Foil
- Garbage Bags
- Baggies
- Paper Towels
- Laundry Soap
- Hand Soap
- Kitchen Sink Soap
- Ajax/Comet
- Sink Scrubber
- Instant Milk
- Clothespins/Clotheslines
- Fire Extinguishers
- Insulated Ice Chests
- Duct Tape
- Cast Iron Pans
- Cast Iron Pan Scrubber
- Tarps/Tents/Shelters
- Sleeping Bags
- Carbon Monoxide Alarms (batteries)
- Hand Sanitizer
- Garden Tools
- Scissors and Sewing Supplies
- Bleach
- Mousetraps/Ant Traps/Roach Spray
- Board Games/Card Games
- Paper Plates/Paper Bowls/Paper Cups
- Plastic Silverware
- Shaving Cream/Shavers
- Hand Pumps
- Bicycle tires/pumps
- Reading Glasses
- First Aid Supplies
- Medical Handbook Survival Handbook
- Wool Socks
- Wool Blankets
- Scarves/Mittens/Warm Gloves
- Popcorn
- Peanut Butter and Jam
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Nuts
- Underwear
- Wagons
- Cots and Inflatable Mattresses
- Candles
- Vegetable Oil
- Chocolate
- Handkerchiefs
- Solar battery charger
- Pliers and wire
- Hand Crank Radio
- Prescriptions (please try and get a 90-day supply)
- Cash, small bills and coins
- Shoe Laces
- Dutch Ovens (you can never have too many)
- Lip Gloss/Chapstick
- Essential Oils
- Vicks VapoRub
- Steel Wool
- Sandpaper
- Lumber
- Hand-crank tools
- Food
- Bread
- Crackers
Final Word
Here’s the deal, there are so many items that will disappear in an emergency or disaster. This is just a list of 100 items.
Tell me things that you would add to this list. Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda
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Thank you Linda, I didn’t think about Monistat, but vinegar could work in a pinch. I also bought two solar showers, to fill put in the sun and then shower with.
Hi Janet, thanks for the tip on vinegar for Monistat, great one!! I need to buy a solar shower, great reminder. Thanks so much!!!! Linda
Linda, I’m assuming your very comprehensive list was in random order rather than order of importance. I mean, chocolate at number 82???? Get real, woman! Lol Seriously, a list that should be posted on every pantry door. Thanks!
Hi Linda, I should have put chocolate at #1!!! LOL! Thank you, my friend!!! Linda
In your recently posted lists, unless I missed them, you have not addressed heating, as in staying warm. Would it not be a good idea to have a couple of kerosene heaters? You can use them indoors and with a few drops of a treatment, the kerosene has a shelf life of many years. You can store kerosene in your basement and garage. You can use it in lamps and a kerosene Coleman lantern. Several generations of my family have used these, both at home and in recreational cabins.
Hi John, great reminder about heating, sometimes I’m writing at 2:00 a.m. and forget all the things I have in my mind. I wrote about them in my book, great tip!! Linda
Nylon dog and cat collars disappear here when we have a hurricane in the Gulf. Plain colored ones that can have a contact number put on with indelible or permanent markers go fast. We personally have several for putting on our goats, as well as each of our cats and dog. I also snap 2 together to put on the horse. I reapply the contact info each year, as the permanent marker does fade over time.
Markers, both permanent & paint markers seem to get scarce, too. I’ve taken to stocking up at back to school sales gor the next year’s use.
Hi BDN, this is a great comment!! I never thought about collars for goats or horses!!! I’m with you on permanent and paint markers! You can never have too many! Love this comment! Linda
Great list, Linda. I’d also encourage folks to think about dual purpose uses. For example, I might skip over diaper rash cream as I have no children at home but diaper rash cream is often zinc which is great for all kinds of rashes on little people and grown ups in the most delicate of places.
Make a game of finding a second use for items. (But be careful, this skill can be a curse as well as a talent as it’s hard to throw anything away as everything becomes a resource. I remember a time when we bought a new gas bar-b-que and were taking the old one to the dump. As we lifted the unit up into the pick up, I had a thought and by the look on my face, my husband knew that bbq would never make it to the dump so out it came. We took off the cooking unit and replaced the top with a scrap piece of plywood. That new ‘table’ has been used for everything from potting plants, to cutting fish, to a paint stand, to a place to make stepping stones. It’s 4′ long, rolls around on the wheels, and takes all kinds of abuse. You never know what items have a second use.)
Your columns are always food for thought.
Oh, Debbie, I LOVE your comment! The barbecue story is a great way to recycle items that no longer work. I would love a 4-foot table with wheels!!! Dual purpose is always on my mind as well. Love it! Linda
My friend told me she keeps a spare pair of reading glasses in her “go bags”, and few more in storage. For those of us that need reading glasses, it is vitally important.
Hi, Linda, I’m always afraid my glasses will break and I won’t be able to see. At least with some reading glasses, I can at least read a book! Linda
I have read a lot of lists about what to have, and yours is the only one with handkerchiefs. I wonder why people have not thought of how to wipe their drippy noses? I have lots of bandanas, as well as some nice white handkerchiefs for special occasions. Bought them at Walmart for $1 each.
I have enough toilet tissue for the household for two weeks, but have the coin tissues (search term for Amazon or Walmart.com) for an end of the world disaster.
Hi, Angela, I put handkerchiefs because I always have a runny nose it seems. LOL! A reader just told me about those coin tissues, I bought a bag from Amazon. Great tip! They take up so little space!! Linda
I have been making hankies out of flannel fat quarters and a rolled hem on my serger. I have pretty much stopped using paper products with the exception of TP. I now cut up old T-shirts and serge the cut edges to use where I would normally use paper towels. Of course, in an emergency situation where water for washing cloth might be a premium, paper towels and tissues for the drippy nose will be easier on the stress.
I would add to the matches: try to find “strike anywhere” matches. I found my latest batch at Ace Hardware. They are more convenient for carrying small supplies rather than the whole box.
As for glasses, I always keep my most recent old glasses for emergencies. They will work for me in a pinch.
We should all have a well stocked first aid kit as those will also go fast. I have an herbal first aid kit, standard first aid kit and an essential oil first aid kit. To all of that, I have added additional boxes of gauze pads, ace bandages in various lengths and widths, additional bandaging tape and anything else that I think I would use up quickly. I also have a couple of boxes of disposable gloves – they are so handy for protecting your hands when doing first aid but can also be filled with water and kept cold in the cooler for ice packs.
Everyone should have at least one hot water bottle – this can be used for hot or cold water depending on what you need. I have one I keep in the freezer with water/alcohol mixture for large area ice packs; one for cold water just to cool off and one for hot water. I would suggest getting one with a cloth covering for all but the just to cool off bottle!
Once you have decided to get all these things, do like Debbie Mc – determine what other uses things have. Not just for those things that are going to be thrown out and you decide on a repurpose, but there are many things on the list that can have multiple uses. For example: many menstrual supplies (sanitary pads and tampons) have uses for first aid as well as their intended use. Popcorn can be a snack or ground for making corn bread/corn meal. Paper plates can also be used as a craft supply for kids. And the list can go on.
If you have kids or grandkids that will be included for using your list, be sure to include crafts, small toys and games.
Hi Leanne, I just added strike anywhere to the matches, great reminder. I recently bought a couple of water bottles as well. Great tip!! Thank you for your awesome comment today!! I can tell you are one prepared woman!! I LOVE it! Linda
While I try very hard to be prepared, I know that there are lots of things I still need to do! I don’t think I will know how well prepared or ill-prepared I am until something major happens.
Having been through the last two hurricanes to come through Florida, I can tell you stuff goes FAST! Yes, water is the very first thing to go, but next is basically everything in the bread aisle. Then the milk. But grocery stores do try hard to restock them throughout the week so usually if you go first thing in the mornings, you can get some (but I wouldn’t recommend having to try). Honestly, wheat and a wheat grinder would not be on anyone’s radar. People don’t have the skills to use them anymore. Ready-made snacks like granola bars and chips go because people want their comfort foods. The hardest thing to try to get your hands on the week before a hurricane are flashlights/lanterns, tarps, plywood, and most of all, a generator! Fuel for said generator and propane are also scarce. There were places here in Florida without power for WEEKS! And it was HOT! We were lucky to only go without it for a day but many were not so lucky. Depending on where you are, power may not be an issue, but here in hot Florida (and on a well for water), some form of electricity is important!
Hi Carole, oh thank you so much for sharing your experience. My readers would love to hear this!!!! I’m sad that people no longer use wheat, I had to laugh at your comment, “it’s not on their radar” That is so true!!! I still grind my wheat and make freshly ground bread. I realize I am the minority. I’m so glad you only had to go one day without electricity. What a great learning experience. I wish I had a whole house generator but it’s way too far out of my budget. I do have a solar generator that I’m thankful to have. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on living through two hurricanes. Be safe, Linda
Our family does not have a need for infant diapers. However, we do have the need for adult disposable underwear. If there are elderly members of your family, the adult underwear, bed underpads, adult wipes and disposable gloves may be a life saver. Also that wonderful diaper cream with zinc in it can be used here, too!
Hi Carol, great comment! I have two cases of straws for the elderly as well. Good tip on the adult disposable underwear, underpads, adult wipes, and gloves. Love it! Linda
Thanks for the reminder about the straws! Sippy cups might be in order as well. They would take less maintenance than worrying about straws all of the time. I kept one that dad had when he was in rehab. Another option is double handled mugs.
Hi, Carol, sippy cups would be great as well. I like the idea of a double handled mug too!! Linda
Having lived in Florida thru many a hurricane. I learned cast iron and a charcoal grill. As a kid I never worried about as my Daddy was a pretty prepared guy. He grew up Mennonite on a farm. The first time as an adult I had to relearn it. I learned all those fancy electric gadgets were useless. Also a propane grill is useless if you’re doing without an extended period of time. A charcoal grillcan use charcoal or any kind of wood.
Aslo when my late husband was first medically retired I learned to have a large supply of various herbs and spices. We were extremely short on money as it took 9 months for them to finally approve his medical retirement. He was not allowed to work at his job because of his health but also could not take another job for the same reason. The government takes a long time. He was a federal police officer. I learned even though we had to eat a lot of cheap hamburger and wild game it did not have to taste the same every time.
Hi Susie, it’s really too bad that the government takes so long to do their job right. It’s so frustrating, it’s crazy that it took nine months for them to get it right. Geez!!! I’m with you on the gas barbecue, it’s pretty much useless so charcoal and a grill or firepit will suffice. I can tell you are a survivor, you’re daddy taught you right! Awesome comment! Linda
On the US Virgin Islands, I discovered I could shower using 1-gallon milk jugs and an empty 1-gallon ice cream bucket. Keeping the water filled milk jug in the sun is usually warm enough, then pouring just enough into the bucket to use to wash & rinse my face first, then give myself a sponge bath and if needed wash the crown of my hair with the rest pulled back into a ponytail. Then I used the rest of the jug of water to quickly rinse down my hair & body, trying to capture some in the bucket to wash out my lingerie. If you poke holes in the lid of the milk jug, water will sprinkle out more like a shower. But now I have a garden sprayer that works so much better and holds more water, so it is my preference.
Hi, Kay, I LOVE your comment! This is one area I need to up my game. I have been watching for just the right type of “shower” that would use very little water. I like the idea of keeping a one-gallon ice cream bucket in the sun to keep the temperature warm. I had never thought of using a garden sprayer, what a great idea! Thanks for these awesome tips! Linda
Well, Linda – Did you ever think that having posted this on your blog that the world as we knew it would blow up in our faces a year and a half later? I am surely glad that I am prepared.
Hi Leanne, I’ve been writing my blog for 8 years now. I’m so grateful I’ve met people like you through my blog. So many people assume nothing will happen to them. This is going to be a financial hardship for so many families. It’s my understanding the school teachers and all government workers will continue to be paid. It’s too bad everyone won’t have that luxury. Life is not fair, we will continue to pray for the people who will not get paid, etc. Who would have guessed so many restaurants, stores, etc. would be shut down. No income for so many people. I’m am heartbroken for them. God bless these families, Linda
Linda – I am fearing (well, not much because there isn’t anything I can do about it anyway) what the economic outcome will be for everyone! With the stock market (I’ve lost about $15K on my 401k), unemployment, etc., I believe that we are going to see a lot of major issues.
Not keeping up with other states but here in Washington, if someone gets laid off, they can immediately start getting unemployment. While that is fortunate, if they are not working, what happens to their health insurance? if they don’t get the money needed to continue to pay the premiums, there might be a huge number of uninsured. Scary to say the least. Also, there is a moratorium on evictions, low to no interest loans being offered, payment plans for electricity, etc., all good options for the here and now but what of the future? I think of the person getting laid off from the restaurant and then the restaurant folding due to no business/income. The laid off person may have a very difficult time getting a job in the aftermath of this virus issue. Then, how do they pay off that loan? continue to pay for health insurance? electricity? housing? Could be and likely will be a disaster of its own in the coming months/years.
One thing that I am truly thankful for is that my son-in-law took a new job in November last year after 12 years with his previous employer. He is an electrician and is now in training for management with his new company. He is able to work from home and continue to earn a good wage and support his family of 6. If he were not able to work at all, I don’t know what they would do. Survive I am sure but with great hardship so the ability to work from home is a real blessing.
I love you, Linda for the encouragement and advice you give to all of your readers.
Leanne
Hi Leanne, you are so right about the health insurance, if they had insurance. This is getting worse every day. I’m extremely worried about our healthcare workers having to work without protective gear. If anyone can pull off this possible economic collapse it would be Pres. Trump. I’m not being political here, I’m supporting our President. I hope this comes off right for all who read it. If we do not have hope, we have nothing. I’m with you on the companies folding, this is just crazy!! I have to believe Trump and God will get this reversed as soon as possible. This has been a wakeup call for all those people who didn’t gear up for a disaster or unforeseen emergency. I love you, Leanne, Hugs from Utah
This morning my daughter sent me a link for 100 million mask challenge starting here in western Washington state. I signed up for it but will only do it IF they have distribution and pick up in my city or one very very close! Basically it is a call for volunteers who sew and have machines to pick up kits of fabric, elastic and some sort of filter and to then sew masks for our health care workers. Because of the uncertainty here in Washington, I am not going to drive an hour to the nearest pick up that starts on Monday morning. It would then be another hour drive to drop of the finished masks.
I agree this has been a huge wake up call for many many people. What also concerns me is that when this is over, those people or many of them, will go back to their old way of thinking and stop preparing or stay prepared!
I am praying that Trump has the means to keep control of this issue but I am trusting that God has this and it is his will that we need to be more concerned with. As I say – “If I get COVID-19 and recover, GREAT! If I don’t recover, I, at least, know where I am going!”
Hi Leanne, this is awesome! I sure hope the medical professionals get the items they need ASAP. Great idea on getting kits to make them. Love it! Linda
I have be reading your stuff on and off for a while. I wasnt sure I got the why before.. ok i get it now 🙂
Hi Mel, I’m glad to hear this! I think everyone gets it now, hopefully. Stay well, Linda
And here we are in 2020. Funny this article happened to come up randomnly on pinterest.
Hi R, I know, right?? Life is crazy right now. I need a whole lot more items to that list!! Linda
Thank you for your list. Just reading what others wrote gave me more ideas. I’m prepared however there may be another surge of hording. If farmers plow their vegetable fields under because the processing plants can’t pack and if meat processors have no customers like restaurants or schools …….think on these things. Do not panic but be wise.
Hi Gary, I totally agree with you on the farmers and processing plants. I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’m glad to hear you are too. The milk dumping, the onions rotting, the list goes on and on. I love your phrase, do not panic but be wise. Great comment, Linda
I love your lists! I keep them in my bullet journal. My husband doesn’t really understand buying ahead unless we have lots of money so your posts have helped me find ways over the years to stock up without much of a financial impact. Which has helped us a lot this year. I’m one of the fortunate government workers who still got paid but husband is not. It’s still a concern that if I bring this disease home, how badly it will impact us financially. Luckily, I’ve made it a habit to slowly stock up and find ways to do things for myself. I’m teaching both my children how to find ways to repurpose anything we can think of too!
Hi Jessica, it really does make a difference stocking a little at a time. Your government job is critical for your family right now. It’s a blessing for sure. This virus has turned our world upside down. I love hearing you have taught your children to repurpose. Stay well, Linda