Flood Emergency Kits

A flood is the one emergency that takes away the first thing you'd reach for. The water comes up, and then the tap water is a problem too. Boil-water advisories are among the most common after-effects of flooding, and they can run for days after the water has gone back down.

Every kit here carries a way to treat questionable water, not just a few sealed pouches to get you started. Depending on the kit, you'll also find food that needs no stove, off-grid lighting, first aid, sanitation supplies, shelter, and other essentials for the first days of a flood emergency. All packed and ready when you need it.

A woman at her kitchen counter dropping a water purification tablet into a jar of water, with emergency drinking water pouches and an emergency kit backpack beside her

Find the right flood emergency kit

All six treat water. They differ in how they do it, and in what you would do when the water rises.

STRONGEST WATER TREATMENT

Guardian

Chlor-Floc pouches that clear cloudy water as they disinfect it, rated by the maker for Giardia, bacteria and viruses. The best match for floodwater.

See Guardian Go Bag → SAME TREATMENT, SMALLER

Urban Escape Gear

The same Chlor-Floc pouches in a smaller bag. Built for apartments, commutes and getting home on foot.

See Urban Escape Gear → FILTER, NOT TABLETS

RapidShield

A straw filter rated for up to 1,321 gallons that removes bacteria and protozoa, so there is nothing to mix and no wait time. Add purification tablets to cover viruses. Our best value 72-hour kit.

See RapidShield → BACKPACK OR BUCKET

SafeHarbor

The same kit two ways. Take the backpack if you may need to leave, or the bucket, whose lid is a toilet seat, if you are staying put.

See SafeHarbor → FOR TWO OR FOUR

SideBySide

Purification tablets and a hydration bag for each person, in a two-person and a four-person size. Hand-assembled in the USA.

See SideBySide → STORM SURGE

StormShield

Built for hurricane season, packed in a waterproof bucket that works whether you shelter at home or leave. Flooding and surge arrive together.

See StormShield →

What makes a kit flood-ready

Most emergency kits carry some drinking water. Fewer include a way to treat additional water, and during a flood-related disruption that capability can matter.

The Guardian and the Urban Escape Gear use Chlor-Floc pouches. Each pouch provides 1.4% available chlorine plus flocculating agents, rated by the manufacturer for Giardia, bacteria and viruses in up to one liter of water.

The flocculant settles sediment and pollutants out first, and you strain the clarified water through a clean cloth before drinking. That two-step process makes it particularly useful when the available source water is cloudy rather than clear.

The RapidShield carries a straw filter instead, rated for up to 1,321 gallons. Its 0.1-micron ultrafilter removes bacteria and protozoa such as Giardia, but it isn't a purifier and can't reliably remove viruses, so pair it with purification tablets where that matters.

The SafeHarbor and SideBySide carry tablets that each treat a liter. The StormShield carries Aquatabs, each treating two quarts.

Worth saying plainly: none of this makes floodwater safe to drink. Chlor-Floc is made for clarifying and disinfecting suspect water, and the manufacturer rates it for Giardia, bacteria and viruses. What no tablet or pouch addresses is chemical contamination, meaning fuel, pesticides and industrial runoff, which is exactly what floodwater picks up on its way through a neighborhood.

These kits are for the tap water afterward, or a well you are not sure about. If your utility issues a boil notice, follow their instructions first.

One thing that is in no kit: do not drive into standing water. You cannot see how deep it is or whether the road underneath is still there. If you are putting a flood emergency kit in the car, our RoadReady and FirstMile car kits are built for the wait that follows turning around.

What you will still want to add:

  • A clean cloth for straining, if your kit uses Chlor-Floc.
  • Purification tablets, if your kit is the RapidShield.
  • Medications, at least the seven-day supply the American Red Cross recommends.
  • Copies of insurance papers and identification in a waterproof bag.
  • And whatever else is on your family's list.
How much water does your family need?