Expert shares six essentials every UK household should stock up on in case of emergency
A professor has shared the six essential items households should stock up in case of emergency.
Brits have been warned that they need to be better prepared to deal with unexpected events, such as challenging weather and online disruptions that could crop up unexpectedly and knock their everyday lives off kilter.
Earlier this month, several European supermarkets reported cyberattacks that turned off their fridges, prompting concerns the same could happen in the UK.
The UK Government has already announced its ‘be ready’ checklist, urging households to ensure they have enough essential supplies - such as bottled water and tinned food - to last them for three days.
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Resilience expert Professor Hannah Cloke recently appeared on Channel 4 News where she said people were ‘right to be concerned’ about potential events that could disrupt our lives, such as adverse weather conditions caused by El Niño.
"It's right to be concerned. So, that's an important difference from not being frightened, but being concerned. And that means thinking about something before it happens is the right thing to do. Being frightened and anxious is not necessary because we can prepare for things.
"We can plan ahead of time if we think about what might happen. So there's a subtle difference there and there are lots of things we can do. We've been hearing things about cyber attacks, security, flood risk, heatwave risk, and things, but the principles behind preparing for all of those things are the same."
Echoing what UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said recently, Professor Cloke said it was all about making households more ‘resilient’ to unforeseen events.
She said: "First thing is again build resilience into your home. So have a little bit of bottled water, some food that's long-lasting, definitely supplies of medicines. People forget that all the time. If you are taking medication, just have like one month ahead so that you can prepare if you just can't access that information for any reason."
She also recommended buying a wind-up radio that can be used to charge your phone or other devices.
Cloke went on to say that those who lived in flood risk areas, should take time now to ensure that they’re ready in case of an emergency.
"You see time and time again people who are not prepared really suffer when that flood hits,” she said.
“Just making really simple preparations like having a grab bag to go in your home with your important documents, some spare medicine, and stuff for any children that you've got like babies can make a massive difference to how you deal with that flood coming towards you."
As well as making sure your own household is looked after, the resilience expert urged people to talk to their neighbours particularly if they’re older or vulnerable to make sure there’s a ‘network’ of support.
Cloke also stressed that there’s no need to rush out and start panic buying, instead suggesting a ‘nice calm preparation’ is what’s needed.
“It's that British advice of keep calm and carry on,” she said.
What the expert recommends households have stocked up
- Bottled water and long-lasting food supplies
- Torch
- Batteries
- One month’s supply of medication
- Wind-up radio
- A grab bag ready to go if at risk of flooding
Topics: UK News
Claire Reid
