This free emergency preparedness checklist helps you organize water, food, first aid, lighting, power, documents, and basic supplies before an unexpected situation.
An emergency kit exists for the days after something goes wrong, when the power is out, the water is off, and help has not arrived yet. The goal is not to buy everything at once. It is to have the basics organized before you need them, because the worst time to assemble supplies is during the emergency itself.
The kit is anchored by two numbers from Ready.gov: at least one gallon of water per person per day, and at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Three days is the common minimum, two weeks at home the goal as space and budget allow. Hot climates, young children, or illness can roughly double the water need, and you should never ration drinking water unless authorities tell you to.
Work through it in order of what protects you first: water, then food, light, and first aid. Keep a full kit at home and a smaller grab-and-go version in the car, since you will not know where you are when something happens.
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01
Water & Food
The anchor of the whole kit: at least one gallon of water per person per day and a several-day food supply. Use food-grade water containers, pick foods that need no cooking, and store everything somewhere cool, dark, and dry.
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Emergency Water Storage Containers
One gallon per person per day, for several days — food-grade containers only. Remember a hot climate or a sick household member can roughly double what you need.
Aim for a several-day supply (three days minimum, two weeks ideal at home) of things your family will actually eat and that need no cooking or refrigeration.
Plan for the grid being down for days, not hours. A weather radio that receives NOAA tone alerts is your information lifeline when cell networks fail, and it shouldn't depend on a battery you can't replace.
Choose one that receives NOAA Weather Radio tone alerts. It's how you get official information when cell networks are down, and hand-crank means it never depends on a dead battery.
Medication is the part people forget. Keep a few days' supply plus a written list of what everyone takes — an emergency can make it hard to reach an open pharmacy or refill a prescription.
Keep a written list of names and doses, plus a few days' supply where possible. About half of adults take a daily prescription, and a closed pharmacy is a real risk in a disaster.
Bring
Copies of Important Medical Info
Allergies, conditions, and doctors on paper let a first responder act faster if you can't speak for yourself.
Bring
04
Documents & Communication
If you have to leave, you'll need to prove who you are, file insurance claims, and pay for things when card readers and ATMs are down. That's why copies and small-bill cash matter as much as any gadget.
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Copies of IDs and Insurance Cards
Keep copies in the waterproof bag — you'll need them to prove identity and file claims after a disaster.
Bring
Emergency Contact List
Bring
Cash in Small Bills
Card readers and ATMs fail in an outage. Small bills because change may be hard to come by.
Bring
Waterproof Document Bag
Water damage is the most common way important papers are lost in a disaster — keep the documents above sealed inside it.
The tools that let you shut off utilities and shelter safely in place — the things you need in the first few minutes and can't improvise on the spot.
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Fire Extinguisher
An ABC-rated extinguisher suits most household use; check the pressure gauge on your six-month sweep. Follow your local fire department's guidance on when to use one and when to get everyone out and call 911 instead.
A non-sparking wrench to turn off gas or water at the source — needed in the first minutes of a leak or line break, and not something you can improvise.
1Make a family communication plan: pick an out-of-area contact everyone can check in with and a meeting place, written on paper in the kit. Texts often get through when calls won't, and phones fail.
2Sign up for your community's emergency alerts and learn the local warning signals, so official instructions reach you even when you're away from the radio.
3If a storm or outage is forecast, fill the bathtub and spare containers with water for flushing and washing, so your stored drinking water lasts longer.
4Learn where your home's gas, water, and electrical shutoffs are and how to operate them before an emergency, not during one.
Common questions
How much water should I store for an emergency?
Ready.gov recommends at least one gallon per person per day for several days — a minimum of three days, and ideally two weeks at home. Store it in food-grade containers, and note that hot climates or sick household members can roughly double the need. Never ration drinking water unless authorities tell you to.
How many days should an emergency kit cover?
The common baseline is 72 hours (three days) of being self-sufficient, since that's how long it can take for help to reach you. Many agencies now suggest building toward a two-week home supply as budget and space allow — start with three days and grow from there.
How often should I check my emergency kit?
Every six months. Rotate the water and food, test the flashlights and radio, replace expired batteries and medications, and update your documents if anything's changed. A kit you never check is a kit you can't fully trust.
Should I keep an emergency kit in my car too?
Yes. You won't know where you'll be when something happens, so a smaller grab-and-go kit in the car is worth keeping alongside the full one at home. Prioritize water, a few non-perishable snacks, a phone charger, a flashlight, a basic first-aid kit, a warm blanket, and sturdy shoes — enough to get through being stranded or having to leave quickly.