September is National Preparedness Month and an opportune time for insurance agents and brokers to check in with clients to ensure they are ready should a natural disaster strike. One critical step individuals and families should take to prepare for an emergency is building a disaster supplies kit that contains food, water and other items needed for a household to survive for several days in the event of a catastrophe. FEMA recommends that disaster supplies be stored in airtight plastic bags inside one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag. The agency's Ready Campaign, which is designed to educate Americans to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, also offers a checklist to help people assemble their emergency supplies. Additionally, FEMA offers the following tips on maintaining and storing emergency kits:

• Replace expired items as needed.
• Keep canned food in a cool, dry place and store boxed food in tightly closed containers.
• Re-consider needs every year and update the kit as needs change.
• Keeps kits in an easy-to-access designated place at home where all family members know its location.
• If keeping an emergency kit at work, make sure it contains at least a 24-hour supply of food, water and other necessities, such as comfortable walking shoes, stored in a "grab-and-go" case.
• Individuals and families should also consider keeping a kit of emergency supplies in cars containing jumper cables, tool kit, tripod jack, wheel wrench, and reflective triangles to make vehicles more visible.

In the slideshow above, discover the basic items every emergency kit should have, according to FEMA.  Related: 

• These 8 items are critical to have in a pet emergency kit
• Disaster checklist: Preparing for floods and wildfires
• Mitigation: An essential step in any emergency response plan