Be Ready Basics: Emergency Preparedness FAQs for Families

Start with three things, in this order: know the risks where you live, make a simple family plan, and get a foundation kit into the house. That's it, and none of it has to happen in one weekend. Preparedness is a direction, not a deadline. Here's the calm, step-by-step version.

For most busy families, yes - a pre-made kit is worth it. Building your own works if you'll research, source, and maintain every item; many families start strong and stall halfway, which leaves gaps exactly where you don't want them. A curated kit closes the gap in one decision. The honest comparison, including when DIY makes sense.

Both numbers are right but for different situations. Seventy-two hours is the minimum every household should have for any emergency; two weeks is the comfortable goal for riding out an extended outage or storm at home. Start with three days. Build toward fourteen. How to get from one to the other.

Good news: preparedness isn't all-or-nothing. There's a smart order to it and some of the most important steps are completely free. Here's how families build real readiness without straining the budget.

One gallon per person, per day with three days minimum, two weeks if you're able. That covers drinking and basic hygiene, and it's the single most important supply in your home. Don't forget pets need their own supply on top of that number. How to store it without taking over the garage.

Plan for at least three days of no-cook food per person and two weeks is even better if you're staying home. Choose calorie-dense foods your family already likes, with long shelf lives and nothing that needs refrigeration. Get the full answer, including the items most families forget. 

Because emergency rations and everyday food solve different problems. Ration bars are built to be eaten with no water and no cooking, and they're kept low in sodium so they don't make you thirsty, which is worth more than a higher calorie count when water is the thing you're short of. Pouched meals carry more food but need water added and a way to heat it. Why the numbers differ, and which one suits your household.

Real emergency water has a US Coast Guard approval number and a date printed right on the pouch. Emergency food names its manufacturer and country of origin. If a pouch has neither, there's nothing to check. And some of the most official-sounding claims out there aren't real standards at all: the FDA doesn't approve food or kits, and neither FEMA nor the American Red Cross certifies them. What to look for, and which claims aren't real.

Copies of IDs, insurance policies, medical and prescription lists, property records, and key contact numbers all kept in a waterproof pouch with your kit, and ideally backed up digitally. It's a ten-minute project that solves some of the hardest problems a disaster can create. The full list and the fastest way to knock it out.

The practical answer for most families: one well-stocked home kit that covers everyone, plus a small personal layer for each person with medications, spare glasses, comfort items for the kids, etc. If you ever need to leave quickly, that's where individual go-bags come in. How families split it up.

Absolutely, and you should. Think of the kit as your foundation and the personal layer as yours to add: prescriptions, spare glasses, pet supplies, kids' comfort items, copies of your documents. Customizing takes an evening, and it's what turns a good kit into your family's kit. What to do when your kit arrives.

Start with the same basics adults need, but make them age-appropriate: water, food, warmth, basic first aid and identification. Then add the things that make an emergency easier for your child, such as a comfort item, activities, needed medications and a current family contact card. Younger children may also need diapers, wipes, formula or other everyday essentials. A child's emergency kit should be manageable for their age, not simply an adult kit in a smaller backpack. What goes in by age.

Yes. Knowing where the kit lives makes kids feel safer, not scared. Frame it like the fire drills they already do at school: calm, practiced, matter-of-fact. Kids handle preparedness beautifully when the grown-ups treat it as ordinary. How to have that conversation at their level.

The basic supplies aren't very different. The plan around them can be. Mobility, medications, medical equipment, hearing or vision needs, transportation and who can help during an evacuation all matter. For an older adult living independently, the kit should also be stored somewhere easy to reach without stairs or heavy lifting. Read How to Help an Aging Parent Prepare for an Emergency

Start with the same basics every household needs: water, food, light, warmth, first aid and a way to receive emergency information. Then add the things that are specific to the person: prescription medications, a current medication and medical-contact list, spare glasses or hearing-aid supplies, and a backup-power plan for any equipment that requires electricity. Also consider the weight of the kit and whether it can be reached and moved easily. See our Senior Emergency Preparedness Checklist

The same things you do. Water, food, medications, and a plan plus a few things loving owners may still overlook, like vaccination records and a photo of the two of you together. Here's how to make sure your pets are as ready as the rest of the family.

Take your pets with you whenever you evacuate. Have a carrier or leash ready, keep identification and vaccination records with their supplies, and know ahead of time where you can go with them. Not every emergency shelter or hotel accepts pets, so identify pet-friendly options and a backup caregiver before you need them. Keep a recent photo of you with your pet in case you're separated. The pet plan, start to finish.

Apartment emergency kits need the same basics as any household kit: food, water, first aid, light, warmth and a way to receive emergency information. The difference is space and portability. Choose supplies you can store compactly and carry if elevators aren't working or you need to leave on foot. Keep your kit near an exit, store additional water separately, and know more than one way out of your building. What apartment living actually changes.

Yes. Your car needs its own small kit, because emergencies don't check whether you're home first. Water, warmth, light, first aid, and a way to charge a phone cover the great majority of roadside situations, winter or summer. What belongs in it, season by season.

A roadside kit helps with the car: things like a dead battery, flat tire or making your vehicle visible while you wait for help. A car survival kit helps take care of you and your passengers if you're stranded, with supplies such as water, food, warmth, first aid and emergency lighting. Ideally, your vehicle should be prepared for both. Check what your kit actually includes rather than assuming one bag covers everything. What should I keep in the car for an emergency.

Yes, with one change: rotate car supplies more often than the ones stored indoors. The emergency rations and water pouches in our car kits are Coast Guard approved and built for long-term storage in harsh conditions, which makes them a better choice for a vehicle than ordinary bottled water or everyday snacks. Even so, a car sees extreme temperatures, so replace the food and water once a year rather than relying on the printed date. Water filters can be damaged if they freeze, and batteries and medications may be better off indoors. What survives a hot trunk, and what doesn't.

Somewhere you could reach in the dark: a hall closet, under a bed, a garage shelf near the door. Avoid temperature extremes and deep storage you'd have to dig for. A kit you can't reach in two minutes isn't really ready. The best spots in most homes and more.

When home is safe, home is the best place to be and most emergencies are stay-home events. You leave when home itself becomes the danger, or when officials tell you to. Here's the calm way to make that call before you ever have to.

Yes! It's the free half of preparedness. A communication plan answers three questions before you ever need them: how you'll reach each other, where you'll meet, and who everyone checks in with. Ours takes about twenty minutes to fill out over a weekend breakfast. What goes in it. 

Wildfires can give you an hour of warning or five minutes, and each needs its own plan. Build all three, the 5-minute, 15-minute, and 1-hour versions, plus a printable quick reference for the fridge. Your family's wildfire evacuation plans.

A real N95 has NIOSH printed on the mask itself, along with an approval number you can look up in a public database. If there is no printing at all, or the number does not come back as valid, it is not an approved respirator no matter what the box says. Wildfire smoke is exactly the situation where a counterfeit costs you. How to check one in about two minutes.

Your phone may receive a Wireless Emergency Alert for serious threats nearby, but don't rely on one source. Sign up for your local emergency notification system, enable emergency alerts on your phone, and keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio available in case cell service or power goes down. Local emergency management, law enforcement and fire agencies are also important sources for evacuation orders and updates. If you hear a siren and don't know what it means, go inside, get information and check official local sources rather than guessing from the sound. Where to look, and who to call.

Expect aftershocks and be ready to Drop, Cover and Hold On again. Check yourself and others for injuries, put on sturdy shoes before walking through debris, and watch for hazards such as broken glass, damaged buildings, power lines and possible gas leaks. If you're near the coast, move to higher ground or inland because a tsunami can follow a strong earthquake. Follow local emergency instructions before returning to damaged areas. What the first hour looks like.

Follow evacuation orders from local officials. If you're in an evacuation zone and told to leave, don't wait for conditions to get worse. If you're not ordered to evacuate and your home is considered safe for the expected storm, you may be able to shelter at home. Know your evacuation zone, decide where you'll go before hurricane season, and keep both your home supplies and a grab-and-go kit ready so you're prepared for either decision. How to decide before the season starts.

A flood watch means flooding is possible, so get ready. A flood warning means flooding is happening or expected soon, so take action. If a warning is issued for your area, follow local instructions and be ready to move to higher ground or evacuate. Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. What each one means, and what to do.

No. Turn around and find another route. You can't reliably judge the depth of floodwater or whether the road underneath has been damaged. As little as 12 inches of moving water can carry away a vehicle. Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Why depth is the thing you can't judge.

Drop, Cover and Hold On. Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and if a sturdy table or desk is nearby, get underneath it and hold on until the shaking stops. If you're indoors, stay indoors during the shaking. Don't run outside or stand in a doorway. If you're in bed, stay there and protect your head and neck with a pillow. The first sixty seconds, step by step.

Go to a basement or storm shelter if you have one. If you don't, go to a small interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside, and protect your head and neck. In a high-rise, get to an interior hallway or room on the lowest floor you can safely reach. Don't waste warning time opening windows. Where to go, including without a basement.

Stay indoors if you can, conserve heat and use backup heat sources safely. Close off rooms you aren't using, block drafts, dress in layers and keep everyone together in a smaller part of the home. Never use a grill, camp stove, generator or other fuel-burning equipment indoors or in an attached garage because of carbon monoxide risk. Keep generators outdoors and well away from doors, windows and vents. If your home becomes dangerously cold, go to a safe heated location rather than trying to tough it out. How to stay warm without power.

It's the question nobody asks out loud and one of the most important ones on this page. Toilets, handwashing, and staying healthy all change when the taps stop. Here's exactly what to do, no awkwardness required.

Twice a year. The clock changes make perfect reminders. Check expiration dates, swap seasonal clothing, and update anything personal: kids' sizes, new medications, fresh document copies. With our free Kit Refresh Checklist, it's a ten-minute job, not a chore. The twice-a-year routine.

A first aid kit is designed to help treat minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes, burns and sprains. An emergency kit is broader. It helps you get through a disruption with supplies for needs such as water, food, light, warmth, communication and basic first aid. Many emergency kits include a first aid kit, but a first aid kit by itself isn't a complete emergency preparedness kit.

One of the most caring gifts there is? You're giving someone peace of mind. Kits are a natural fit for new homeowners, college students, new parents, and grandparents. The trick is gifting one so it lands as love, not a lecture. How to give one well.