How to Use Self Storage For Emergencies

In an emergency situation, having supplies, like extra batteries and water storage, often become scarce and help is harder to find. That's why it's so beneficial to have a self-storage unit that's stocked up with emergency supplies.

With an emergency cache created in your climate-controlled storage space, you'll have a reliable location you can go to in order to re-supply you and your family. Just having those supplies available isn't enough though. You also need to know how to safely access the supplies at the facility.

These self-storage tips cover both considerations. Read on to learn what you should stockpile and how to safely access your storage to get the things you need. 

Stockpile Useful Supplies for an Emergency Situation

In an emergency situation there are going to be some supplies that are key to your survival, (food, water, medication, communication equipment, etc.) and others that aren't. It's up to you to try and store up as many of the necessary items as you're going to need. 

Start with food and water. You should keep your food stores at home where they're readily accessible. Use any extra space you have in your home, like an attic space, or basement to house extra non-perishable food items. Get a second freezer and stock it with some food as well.

Avoid keeping food in a storage facility, because you want your food accessible, and you don't want it to be tainted by rodents and other pests. For water, you should have a small purification and filtration setup at home to create water if something happens to your regular water supply.

Also, consider storing some containers of water to get your family through a week or so. After that, you can store containers of water in your self-storage, but more importantly, you should keep a filtration device and purification tablets in your storage. These supplies will ensure that you have access to clean water when you need it. 

Along with the water supplies, add in first-aid supplies such as bandages, medications, disinfectant wipes, ointments, and other supplies that you can use to re-stock your home first-aid kit. Add in disinfecting agents like bleach, isopropyl alcohol, disinfectant wipes, masks, and gloves as well for viral epidemics. 

Along with the survival staples listed above, it's helpful to have a change of clothes for every member of your family, a radio, flashlights, and extra batteries as well as some form of shelter such as a tent. You can throw in sleeping bags and space blankets along with a fire starter for even more emergency readiness.

If you treat your self-storage space as an emergency re-supply location it will be most effective for you in an emergency situation. 

Keep Informed About What's Going on

With your storage stocked up, it's time to figure out how to make the most of it and to keep yourself safe in the process. That all starts with staying informed about what's going on. That means checking your local news outlets to see what the local government says you should do about the emergency.

Use local government websites and the radio to follow what is happening around you. Stay aware of all local laws and regulations surrounding the emergency, and take steps to keep your family out of harm's way.

These new regulations may influence how you access your storage stockpile, which is one of the reasons it's so important to stay up-to-date with what's going on. 

Access Your Storage Wisely

No matter what the emergency situation is, it's best to go to your storage unit as wisely as you can. That means only grabbing supplies just before you need them, and it means grabbing enough supplies to provide for your family for several weeks.

By selecting a storage facility like Central Coast Storage that's open 24/7 and easily accessible, you can load up all the supplies you need with each visit and avoid unnecessary contact with other people as well. 

Access Your Storage with Care

When you do decide to make a trip to your storage unit, you need to practice self-storage safety. That means visiting the storage only when it's absolutely safe to do so and avoiding unnecessary risks. During a viral outbreak, that means wearing gloves, a face mask, and disinfecting common surfaces while accessing your storage.

It also means avoiding contact with other people as much as you possibly can. Using your storage unit responsibly means using common sense and avoiding risk, but that's different for every situation.

That's why it's up to you to keep up with the situation and to create an access plan that's going to allow you to get into your storage without exposing you or your family to unnecessary risk. Self-storage facilities are very helpful when stocked with the right supplies, but only if you know how to make use of them safely.

Follow the tips above to provide for your family during wide-scale emergencies and to safely access your stored up items in the process.