Emergency Preparedness Checklist

The emergency preparedness checklist on this page is grounded in FEMA guidance and the recommendations of emergency management professionals. It is not a doomsday prepping guide, and it is not written for people who think civilization is collapsing. It is written for people who recognize that basic preparedness for storms, power outages, water system disruptions, and supply chain hiccups is simply practical — and that the current geopolitical climate is one more reason to do what you probably should have done already.

The tone shift that happens when you read preparedness guides from a mental health perspective is: the people who prepare are less anxious, not more. Having a plan and supplies gives you a sense of agency and control. Watching scary news with no plan is far more anxiety-inducing than spending a Saturday building a kit that means you're ready for whatever comes.

Why Basic Preparedness Makes Sense Right Now

Before we get into the lists: let's be clear about what we're preparing for. The most common emergency scenarios in the United States are:

• Severe weather (hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms) — affects millions every year
• Power outages (from weather, equipment failure, demand spikes) — average American household experiences 7 hours of power outage annually
• Water system disruptions (pipe failures, contamination, drought) — routine in aging infrastructure
• Supply chain disruptions (natural disasters, pandemics, labor actions) — COVID-19 demonstrated this isn't abstract
• Local civil emergency (evacuation orders, lockdowns) — rare but not unprecedented

The current geopolitical conflict adds one more scenario to this existing list: potential cyberattack on utilities or infrastructure. But that scenario is on the same preparedness continuum as a major hurricane — the supplies and plans that help you through three days without power or water service are the same regardless of cause.

The 72-Hour Emergency Kit

FEMA recommends a minimum of 72 hours (3 days) of self-sufficiency. This is the standard starting point. The checklist below is organized by category. Print it, check items off as you assemble them, and store everything together in an accessible location.

Water and Food Storage: The Practical Details

Once you've built the 72-hour kit, extending to a two-week supply is the next meaningful milestone. Two weeks covers most extended emergency scenarios without requiring "prepper" infrastructure.

Water Storage

A family of 4 needs 56 gallons for two weeks at the minimum 1 gallon/person/day standard. Practical storage options:

• Cases of commercial bottled water are the easiest and most reliable option. 40-case pallets hold approximately 48 gallons and run $50–70 at warehouse stores. Store in a cool, dark location. Use before the printed date.
• 7-gallon water containers (Reliance or Aqua-Tainer brand) are the practical middle ground. Easy to store, easy to transport, affordable (~$15 each at outdoor stores). Fill from tap, replace every 6 months.
• WaterBOB bath tub liner ($30) fills your standard bathtub with up to 100 gallons of clean water when you receive emergency warning. Good backup capacity if you have advance notice of a disruption.

Food Storage

The simplest approach: "store what you eat, eat what you store." Rather than buying special freeze-dried foods you've never cooked, simply maintain a deeper stock of shelf-stable items from your regular grocery shopping:

• Canned goods: rotate by using older cans first when cooking normally
• Dry pasta, rice, beans, oats: store in sealed containers
• Peanut butter, honey, crackers: long shelf lives, calorie-dense
• Shelf-stable milk (UHT cartons)
• Coffee, tea, comfort foods — morale matters in emergencies

Family Communication Plan

The most consistently overlooked preparedness element: a plan for how your family will communicate and reunite if an emergency occurs when you're separated — at work, school, different locations. Establish this now, before you need it.

1. Designate an out-of-area contact. Local phone networks get overwhelmed in a local emergency (everyone calls at once). It's often easier to call out-of-state than to reach someone in the same city. Pick a family member or close friend in a different state who will be the central contact point. Everyone checks in with them.
2. Establish two meeting locations. One near your home (for neighborhood emergencies — a neighbor's house, a nearby park). One further away (a school, community center) for scenarios where you can't return home.
3. Know your school's emergency release policy. If you have children, know exactly how and where to pick them up during an emergency, what identification is required, and who is authorized to pick them up if you can't.
4. Write it down and keep printed copies in wallets and school backpacks. Don't rely on everyone remembering your plan or having access to their phone.
5. Text before calling during emergencies. Text messages often get through when voice calls fail because they require less bandwidth. Send a group text to all family members immediately when an emergency begins.

Power Outage and Blackout Preparedness

Power outages are the most common emergency scenario. A 72-hour outage — something that happened to millions of Texans in 2021 — requires specific preparation beyond a basic kit.

• Keep devices charged. Charge phones and tablets to 100% whenever a storm or disruption is forecast. A fully-charged modern smartphone lasts 2–3 days with limited use.
• Portable battery stations. Products like Jackery, Goal Zero, or EcoFlow provide 500–1,000 watt-hours of power for $300–600 — enough to charge phones repeatedly, run a CPAP machine, power a fan, or run a small appliance. Worth the investment for anyone with medical equipment dependencies.
• Food safety. A full refrigerator maintains safe temperature for 4 hours when closed; a full freezer for 48 hours. Keep a refrigerator thermometer. Food is safe if temp stays below 40°F. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Generator safety. If you use a generator: ALWAYS outside or in a well-ventilated space, at least 20 feet from windows and doors. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills dozens of Americans per year during emergencies from indoor generator use. Install a battery-powered CO detector.
• Heat and cold emergencies. Without power, temperature regulation is the primary health risk. Know where the nearest warming center or cooling center is in your community. Keep sleeping bags rated for your climate zone.

What You Do NOT Need to Do

Panic preparedness is real and counterproductive. Here is what you specifically do not need:

• You do not need to buy a bunker or underground shelter. Not applicable to any realistic emergency scenario for civilians in the United States.
• You do not need to hoard toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or hand sanitizer. COVID-19 taught us that panic-buying causes the very shortages it tries to avoid. Buy one reasonable extra supply cycle.
• You do not need weeks of freeze-dried emergency food for your first kit. 72 hours of real food you already eat is far more practical and achieves the actual goal.
• You do not need to stockpile weapons. No realistic civilian emergency scenario in the US is improved by armament. This is FEMA's preparedness framework, not a militia guide.
• You do not need to tell others you're preparing. Preparedness is not a political statement or a sign of paranoia. It is the same common sense as keeping your car's gas tank above a quarter full.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Further Reading

• FEMA Ready.gov
• American Red Cross Preparedness
• CDC Emergency Preparedness