Preparedness advice gets vague fast, because the right preparations depend on where you live. A household in a hurricane corridor needs different things than one at the edge of a wildfire zone, and both differ from an apartment tenant worried about a chemical spill on the nearby rail line. So the first job isn’t buying supplies. It is finding out what is actually likely to happen near you.
This guide walks through that process in order: researching the threats, assessing your own weak points, building a plan and kit, securing the house, learning the skills, joining forces with neighbors, and practicing until the plan works without thinking.
Research the threats you really face #
Start with a list of the dangers specific to your location. Natural hazards are the usual suspects: hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and flooding. Man-made ones belong on the list too, such as industrial accidents, transportation incidents and, depending on where you live, terrorism. Everywhere has its own mix.
Look at the history. Which disasters have hit your area before, and how bad were they? Then talk to people who track this for a living. Call or visit your local police, fire department and emergency management office and ask which risks are specific to your address. Many of these agencies also run training programs or community workshops, and they can point you to resources you wouldn’t find on your own.
To stay current, subscribe to your community’s emergency notification system or sign up for alerts through a mobile app, and check local news outlets regularly. Alerts about weather, evacuation orders and other emergencies are only useful if they reach you before the event does.
Assess your vulnerabilities #
A hazard assessment has two sides: what could happen, and how exposed you are when it does. Professionals call a formal version of this a hazard vulnerability assessment (HVA). You can run a simple one yourself by gathering information on the hazards that could affect your area, evaluating how susceptible your community is, and judging how well you could respond and recover.
Your home and property. Walk the property and look for weak points. If you live where hurricanes strike, reinforce windows and doors against high winds. Note anything prone to damage from the threats on your list, and fix the cheap problems first.
Your household. Age, health conditions and mobility limits all change how you respond in an emergency. Write them down and plan around them. That might mean getting medical advice, installing assistive devices, or building a specific plan with a healthcare professional.
Your neighborhood. If you live in an apartment complex or a tight neighborhood, think about how a threat would affect everyone at once. Are there communal spaces that could serve emergency purposes? Working this out with neighbors leads to a more complete plan than any one household could write.
Write the emergency plan #
With the threats and vulnerabilities in hand, write a plan that covers what to do before, during and after a disaster. It should include:
- Evacuation routes and shelter locations, both inside and outside your home.
- Emergency contact information.
- A communication plan, with designated meeting places and a contact hierarchy in case the usual channels fail.
- Assigned responsibilities, so each family member knows their role.
Make sure everyone in the household knows how to reach each other if you are separated. Choose an out-of-area contact who can relay messages if local phone systems are down. Review the plan regularly and update it when your circumstances or the local hazards change.
Build a supply kit around your risks #
A disaster supplies kit is the practical half of the plan. The basics are non-perishable food, water, a first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, medications, hygiene products and important documents. Then tailor it. Include items for every member of the household, including pets, infants or elderly relatives, and add things specific to your local hazards.
Natural disasters deserve their own plan within the plan. Learn the warning signs and safety protocols for each type that occurs in your region, and write down the steps for before, during and after each. If wildfire is the threat, for instance, your plan might include clearing debris from around the property, mapping an evacuation route and keeping a designated emergency kit ready. Follow the recommendations from local authorities and experts, and stock enough food, bottled water, medications and emergency blankets to carry the household through and after the event.
Keep the kit in a designated, easy-to-reach spot so you can grab it quickly. Check supplies regularly and replace anything expired or damaged.
Secure your home #
Hardening the house guards against both crime and storm damage. Reinforce doors and windows with deadbolts, security bars or window film, and make sure the home has good lighting inside and out. Alarms and cameras add another layer, from simple motion-sensor alarms to full surveillance systems, and they let you monitor the property remotely when you’re away.
In some situations a safe room makes sense. It’s a designated area fortified to withstand extreme weather or violence, typically with reinforced walls, a reinforced door and a way to communicate until the danger passes. If you’re considering one, consult professionals with experience building them to find out whether it fits your needs.
Learn personal safety skills #
Skills travel with you. Basic self-defense classes, available through martial arts schools and community centers, build confidence and teach striking techniques and ways to get out of dangerous situations. First aid and CPR courses are even more broadly useful: when accidents happen in an emergency, immediate care can greatly affect someone’s chances. Look for local organizations that offer certification, and get familiar with the common medical emergencies.
The cheapest skill is situational awareness. Notice your surroundings, stay alert when walking alone, avoid risky areas and trust your instincts. Threats are far easier to avoid before they escalate.
Protect yourself online #
Not every threat is physical. Install reliable antivirus and firewall software on computers, phones and tablets. Use strong, unique passwords for every account, and skip obvious choices like birthdays or a pet’s name. A password manager can generate and store them. Learn the common phishing techniques, be careful with suspicious links and attachments, and keep devices and apps updated so you get the latest security patches.
Keep communication open #
Emergencies strain phone networks, so build alternatives. Two-way radios, walkie-talkies or satellite phones can fill the gap when cell service and landlines fail. Keep a list of emergency numbers covering local authorities, hospitals and utility companies, saved in your phone, written on paper and copied into your emergency kit, and make sure every household member knows where it is.
A battery-powered or hand-crank radio keeps you informed about evacuation orders and conditions during outages. Stock spare batteries or rely on the crank.
Work with your community #
Preparedness is more effective when it’s shared. Get involved in local emergency planning, volunteer with community organizations and join drills and exercises. Connect with neighbors to form a community emergency response team that shares information, resources and skills, and set up joint drills and communication channels for your block. Local preparedness groups often run workshops and training sessions, and they put you in touch with like-minded people.
Don’t forget your personal circle. Share your plans with trusted friends and relatives and keep in touch, so someone can offer emotional support, help and information when it counts.
Drill the plan #
A plan you have never practiced is a draft. Run fire drills at home at least twice a year, locate and use the fire extinguishers, and rehearse getting out through windows or alternative routes. Then practice for the other threats on your list, whether that’s an earthquake, hurricane or flood scenario, until the correct actions feel automatic.
Go a step further and simulate scenarios like a prolonged power outage, a medical emergency or an unexpected intrusion. These exercises expose gaps in the plan, and every gap you find in practice is one you won’t discover in a real crisis.
Keep it current #
Preparedness is continuous. Hazards change, households change, and equipment ages. Put a date on the calendar to revisit your research, your plan and your kit, and you will stay ahead of the threats in your area.
Related reading: Getting started with prepping; Advanced Prepping: Tailoring Your Approach To Specific Threat Scenarios