19.05.12
NEW YORK — In a year that delivered Hurricane Irene and one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the East Coast, the term "go-bag" — which grew common after 9/11 and is defined by the New York City Office of Emergency Management as "a collection of items you can use in the event of an evacuation" — has become as much a part of the city's parlance as MetroCard and Gray's Papaya.
Amazon.com now offers more than 8,000 emergency and survival kits, including basic bags with knives and dust masks, deluxe versions with shovels and tents, and emergency kits for children that include crayons and stuffed animals along with water purification tablets and flashlights.
(High demand has led Amazon to more than double its go-bag inventory over the past few years, according to Tracy Ogden, a spokeswoman for the company.)
Everyone agrees that in an emergency, they need essentials like food and water.
But when asked to reflect on what else they might take if they had a bit more time, some notable and good-humored New Yorkers said that (after their family and pets), they would bring their most sentimental possessions, as well as some of life's finer pleasures.
Source: The Seattle Times