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Disasters are inevitable — at some point in our lives, almost all of us will have a brush with an earthquake, flood, tornado, blizzard or storm. But there’s no use in worrying yourself sick; the best way to defend yourself against any emergency is to have a disaster preparedness plan.
Disaster prevention comes in many forms, from knowing what type of emergency to expect and packing an emergency preparedness kit to prepping your home and knowing how to return to it when the coast is clear. Follow these expert-sourced disaster preparedness tips to ensure you have a foolproof plan in place.
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1. Know what type of disaster to expect.
Each crisis requires somewhat different preparation, supplies and know-how. Find out which disasters your town, state and region are most at risk for and plan accordingly. Also check your home insurance policy to make sure you’re protected. While most standard plans cover events like tornados, lightning and winter storms, you’ll probably need a separate policy for flooding, windstorms and earthquakes.
- Earthquakes: They can happen in all states at any time of year.
- Wildfires: High risk in forested areas with little rain, such as Southern California.
- Floods: The most common natural disaster can hit anywhere, but especially in low-lying areas.
- Tornadoes: “Tornado Ally” includes the states of TX, OK, IA, KS, NE and OH, which are on alert from March to August.
- Blizzards: They can occur wherever the temperature drops below freezing.
- Storms and Hurricanes: The East and Gulf coasts are at high risk from June to November.
2. Sign up for emergency alerts.
Get notifications sent to your phone from your service provider or via a free app from FEMA or the Red Cross. Some employers use a service such as LiveSafe to blast emergency info to their teams — see if your company or school uses it, and if so, download the free app.
3. Pack a “go bag.”
If you have to leave your home in a hurry, you’ll want to have some essentials packed and ready to go. Keep the following supplies, recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a portable container or “go bag” in the area of your house where you’ll take shelter.
Emergency Kit List
- Three days’ worth of food and water (at least a gallon per family member)
- Battery-powered (or hand crank) flashlights and radio
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Trash bags and duct tape, along with dust masks
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Manual can opener for food
- Regional maps
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger
- Moist towelettes and any personal sanitation or specific family needs, like pet supplies
We also suggest having smaller versions of your kit stocked with a few necessities like walking shoes, non-perishable snacks and a flashlight at work. In general, you’ll also need enough cash on hand for five days of basic needs (gas and food), but any amount of ready money will help if ATMs are down.
Once you have your supplies together, it pays to go through them at least once a year too, to weed out expired food and batteries.
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4. Make an action plan.
When things get chaotic, you want to make sure that every family member knows what to do. We suggest designating two meeting places (one close by and one a little further away in your neighborhood) and hanging a map with the spots marked near your emergency kit.
It also pays to have important contacts written down if the power goes out and there’s nowhere to charge your cell phone. Make a mini contact list — ready.gov has templates you can print out — with important numbers that everyone can stow in their wallets. Leave a copy in your emergency kit, too. Establish a plan for checking in with relatives in case local lines get jammed. Text messages will often go through, even when phone lines are clogged.
5. Prep your home.
Keep important documents and papers that would be hard to replace sealed in a fireproof safe. If you have pets, make sure to include their vet records and their vaccination records; some vets and kennels won’t admit your furry family without them. Veterans should make sure to include your DD-214, verifying your proof of military service. If flooding is common in your area, put documents in a zip-top bag or waterproof container as well. Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute like the Honeywell 6104 Fire Resistant Steel Security Box.
Important Documents List
- Passports
- Birth and adoption certificates
- Shot records
- Social security cards
- Leases
- Titles
- Deeds
- Wills
- Rental agreements
If the power goes out and you have time, unplug appliances and electronics and turn off air conditioners, whether you stay or go. This will prevent damage when the electricity surges back on. Leave one lamp on so you’ll know when the power’s back.
If water lines could be affected, you’ll also want to fill your tub and turn off the line. Use this H2O for sanitation, like hand-washing and pouring down the toilet to flush it. If there’s a risk of flooding and you have the time, move valuable or hard-to-replace items like laptops, antiques and heirlooms to upper floors to keep them from getting water-logged.
Our experts also recommend investing in a backup home generator to keep your home running through extended power outages. Check out our top picks for the best home generators.
6. Prep your pantry.
If you’ll be inside for a while, weather the storm with nutrient-dense, shelf-stable items recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab.
Food Shopping List:
- Canned tuna/salmon
- Canned black beans
- Olives
- Mixed nuts
- Dry-roasted edamame
- Dry-roasted chickpeas
- Whole-grain instant rice
- Boxed grains like quinoa, buckwheat or sorghum
- Olive oil
- Olive oil/canola oil
- Low-salt veggie broth
- Canned tomatoes
- Canned veggies and other healthy canned foods
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Soy sauce
- Tomato sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
7. Store everything properly.
How you store food can make a difference when it comes to salvaging items afterward, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Information Service (FSIS). If there’s a chance of flooding, be sure to store dry goods in waterproof containers high enough that they will be safely out of the way of contaminated water.
Grouping food together in the freezer can help it stay colder longer in the case of a power outage. If you have advanced warning, freeze any items you don’t need right away, like leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry to keep them at a safe temperature longer, and stock your freezer with as much ice as you can fit. Coolers stocked with ice can also be helpful if the power is out for more than four hours.
Though you’ll want to minimize the amount you open and close your refrigerator door once the power goes out, FSIS recommends keeping an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer to help you determine if food is safe to eat. The refrigerator temperature should be lower than 40° Fahrenheit and the freezer temperature should be below 0° Fahrenheit.
8. Return safely.
Coming home after a major disaster can be daunting. Don’t let your family rush back into your home without taking these precautions.
- Look for damage outside. Walk around the exterior and check for issues like loose or fallen power cables, damaged gas lines and cracks in the foundation or in beams. If you have trees nearby, carefully assess their stability.
- Note sounds and odors. If you smell gas or hear a hissing noise, call the fire department and have them come by and inspect the situation before you reenter.
- Then, check inside. If the power is still out, use a flashlight (not a candle — open flames can burn items or cause gases to ignite) to assess damage.
- Inspect appliances. For small appliances like coffee makers and toasters, look closely at the cords for fraying or exposed wires before using them again. Fridges, ranges and washers can be more complicated; call a service company to check the safety of connections and components, then replace anything that’s severely damaged.
- Document the damage. It may be hard emotionally, but if you want to file an insurance claim, you’ll need a visual record of all the damage with clear pictures and thorough notes before you clean up.
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