I've Never Thought About This Before, Where Do I Honestly Start?
Start with 72 hours. Being able to look after your household for three days without leaving home or needing outside help covers the most common emergencies, and most families can get there in a single weekend. You need water, food, first aid, light, a radio, copies of your documents, and a way to reach each other.
First, take a breath. Most families haven't done this yet. You are not behind, you are starting, and that is the only thing that matters right now.
Emergency preparedness doesn't have to be complicated. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross both agree: a little preparation goes a very long way. You don't need a bunker. You don't need a year's worth of supplies. You just need a solid foundation.
What should I do first?
The goal of your first step is simple. Be able to take care of your household for 72 hours without leaving home or needing outside help.
That's three days. Most families can get there in a single weekend.
FEMA recommends every household have at least 72 hours of essential supplies on hand. That covers the most common scenarios, a power outage, a winter storm, a local emergency that disrupts normal routines for a few days.
What does 72-hour readiness actually look like?
For a family of four, 72-hour readiness means having:
- 12 gallons of water, one gallon per person per day. Pets need their own separate supply on top of this.
- Three days of non-perishable food your family will actually eat
- A basic first aid kit
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Copies of important documents in a waterproof bag
- A simple family communication plan
That's it for the foundation. Everything else builds from there.
What's the fastest way to get there?
Building a kit from scratch takes time. You need to research, shop, and assemble everything individually. Many families start with the best intentions and stall out halfway through.
A pre-assembled emergency kit handles the foundation for you. Everything is already selected, packed, and ready. You add your family's personal items like medications, documents, comfort items for kids and you're done.
It can take less than an hour to go from zero to ready when you start with a pre-packed kit.
→ Browse our family emergency kits and find the right fit for your household.
What can I do right now, for free?
If you're not ready to buy yet, start with this: write down three phone numbers on paper. An out-of-town contact, your nearest family member, and your local emergency line.
That piece of paper stays with your family no matter what happens to your phone. Or its battery. It's the simplest possible first step, and it counts.
You've already taken the hardest step by deciding to start. The rest is just logistics.
The guidance on this page aligns with FEMA and American Red Cross preparedness recommendations.