By Saheli S. R. Datta & Yetnayet Aberra

hether the batteries in your flashlight are rusted or your kitchen cabinets outdo the shelves at Duane Reade, a review of emergency basics might be in order. Here's an underprepared-- or overprepared person's guide.

The point of a disaster preparation kit is to help a person or family survive in their home for at least three days, without power or running water. This is called "sheltering in place," according to Alex Norden, the webmaster and blogger of newyorksurvivor.com While Alex takes an individualistic approach to survivalism, he refers visitors to the guidles lines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (FEMA). FEMA publishes a 100+ page document entitled "Are You Ready?" NYC 24 wanted to highlight some of the key ways a New Yorker can get ready for danger.

How Much Food is Enough?

Three days worth of food is a lot of food.

Atkins enthusiasts and dieters aside, the FDA recommends that an adult consume 2000 calories a day. Anyone should be able to safely survive for three days with the FDA allotment. The 2000 calories are be divided into 1200 calories carbohydrates, 200 calories of protein, and 600 calories of fat. So for every member of your household you need to stock up on 3600 calories of carbohydrates, 1800 calories of fat, and 600 calories of protein. The food can't spoil, it shouldn't require heating, and it should be low in sodium so you don't become too thirsty. (Remember, you only have three gallons of water for the the next three days.)

Contacting Loved Ones

Most people think that their cellphones are good enough to get in touch with family, friends, and loved ones. After all, even during the Sept. 11 attacks, many cell phones continued working under tragic circumstances. But during last August's blackout, New Yorkers discovered that when signal towers lose power, cell phones don't work. So--have several options. If you have a landline, make sure you have a corded phon--cordless phones won't work without power, but the phone system often works even during power outages. If you're too modern to have a landline, make friends with your old-fashioned neighbors who can pass on the word to your family when that fancy Nokia or Nextel goes dead. But in case all phone systems are down, arrange ahead of time with your loved ones to meet in a designated public and open space, like a park or a plaza, where you will all meet.

Battery operated flashlights and radio are a must. Less obvious items include:

A Space Blanket

Basically a special plastic sheet, this will trap your body heat much more efficiently than that expensive down comforter. Not very comfortable but better at preventing hypothermia.

Matches, Lighter, and Small Gas Stove

The goal of our food list above was so that you wouldn't need hea nt to eat, but the ability to boil water is always handy in a disaster. First of all, it might be pleasant to have a little hot food while you're waiting for the rescue workers. Secondly, if you run out of bottled water you can make water from other sources (say, snowmelt) safer to drink. Finally, in a medical emergency, boiling water is useful for sterilization. In Manhattan stores are not allowed to stock liquid or gas fuel so while you can buy your stove here, you'll have to go the outer boroughs or New Jersey to get the fuel.

Signal Flare and Whistle

If you're trapped and waiting to be rescued, a signal flare and a whistle are useful items to attract the attention of rescue workers. Chemical glow sticks can be snapped in half to make a bright green beacon in the dark, and even if your throat is horse, all it takes is a little breath to make a loud sound with a good brass whistle. A whistle is good to carry in general--just don't use it to call for help unnecessarily!

Duct Tape, Trash Bags, and Plastic Sheeting

While the Federal Government's calling on citizens to stock up on duct tape and plastic before the invasion of Iraq was derided as fear-mongering and unrealistic advice by some, the usefulness of duct tape and plastic sheeting in an emergency kit was emphasized by disaster preparation experts long before the September 11 attacks. Duct tape is a quick way to fix and reinforce things like shoes and clothes that aren't sturdy enough for suddenly difficult conditions. Duct taping glass panes can prevent it from shattering, and using duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal windows is the key to "sheltering in place" and avoiding a toxic plume in the air. American astronauts carry duct tape on shuttle missions and on the space station, and in 1997 astronaut Michael Foale and cosmonauts Alexander Lazutkin and Vasily Tsibliyev used it to fix leaky cooling ducts. "They do carry duct tape on board the shuttle and the space station," says Nasa Spokesman Rob Navias of the Johnson Space Center, "It's sturdy, it usually is water resistant, so in that sense it's a very utilitarian tape that can be used in a variety of different functions."

Pocket Knife or Multi-tool

Useful for cutting the duct tape, opening cans without electricity, and whiling away the time by carving your initials in the floor.

Look for a long main blade, screwdrivers and tweezers, and the all-important can opener--that three-day stockpile of food won't doyou much good if you can't get to it. Don't worry so much about the cork-screw.

Painter's Masks.

Not as drastic or dangerous as a gas mask, yet also cheaper and more fashionable.