A leading risk and resilience expert has outlined six items Britons should stockpile, following government warnings about potential crises such as cyber attacks and extreme weather.
Professor Hannah Cloke said the public are “right to be concerned” about the threats facing the country, as the Government seeks to ensure people are better prepared for emergencies. Her advice comes after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting last month called on Britons to stock up on food, water and other essentials.
Government ‘be ready’ campaign
Under a new Government “be ready” campaign, households are being urged to prepare for temporary disruptions to everyday services by keeping three days of key supplies. Prof Cloke told Channel 4 that Britons should not be frightened but should be pro-active.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Six items to stockpile
According to The Mirror, the expert encouraged people to stock up on bottled water, long-lasting food, a torch, batteries, a month’s supply of medications and a wind-up radio. For those at risk of flooding, she also recommended preparing a grab-bag packed with key documents, spare medicine and anything that might be needed for young children.
She urged people not to panic buy or clear supermarket shelves, adding: “A nice calm preparation is what's required. So, it's that British advice of keep calm and carry on.”
Government checklist and rising tensions
Her stockpiling advice echoes guidance issued by the Government. The official checklist advises stocking up with three days’ worth of bottled water and non-perishable food, a battery or wind-up FM radio to receive updates during outages, and cash in case electronic payments or cash machines are disrupted.
The guidance comes amid rising tensions, with Mr Streeting previously warning the country faces “a greater risk of war than at any point in my lifetime”. He has also called for a “whole society approach” to national resilience.
The risk posed by cyber attacks was underscored last week after dozens of supermarkets in 10 European nations were targeted by hackers, causing temperatures in refrigerators and freezers to soar. A number of UK meat suppliers were impacted by the incident, though there was no impact on any food produce.
