When natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods or tornadoes strike, you may have only a few hours' notice to evacuate your home. What comes with you? Fill one or two heavy-duty storage containers with must-have items now so you'll be free to focus on getting your family out safely in an emergency.

According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), your kit should contain the basics: food, cooking utensils and cleaning and safety products. "Staying hydrated is essential, since humans and pets can survive longer without food than without water," says the ADA's Ruth Frechman. Here, the survival kit tools you can't live without.

Food:
• Water (one gallon per day per person)
• Canned juices, shelf-stable milk, instant coffee and tea
• Pre-packaged beverages (those juice boxes may come in handy!)
• Instant oatmeal, granola bars, trail mix, low-salt crackers, unsalted nuts
• Ready-to-eat canned meat, vegetables, fruit and soup
• Packets of sugar, salt, pepper, ketchup and other condiments

Cooking:
• Can opener
• Waterproof matches
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Paper towels, paper plates, cups, plastic utensils
• Dry ice packs