Be ready before the power goes out.

Guides

• HurricanesWhat to do before, during and after a hurricane: evacuation zones, supplies, protecting your home, and staying safe once the storm passes.
• WaterHow much emergency water to store per person, how to store it safely, and how to boil or disinfect water when the tap isn't safe.
• FoodHow to build a non-perishable emergency food supply: what to buy, how much, how to store and rotate it, and what to plan for without power.
• Power outagesWhat to do when the power goes out: how long fridge and freezer food stays safe, generator and carbon monoxide safety, medicine, and coping with heat or cold.
• Winter stormsHow to get your home and car ready for snow, ice and extreme cold: a winter car emergency kit, what to do if you're stranded, frozen pipes, heating safety and winter storm alerts.
• EvacuationDecide now where you would go, how you would get there, and what you would take, so an evacuation order is a checklist rather than a scramble.
• Kit checklistA printable, tickable emergency kit checklist based on FEMA's Ready.gov list, covering water, food, light, first aid, documents, family and pets.
• Printable mapMake free printable paper maps of your neighborhood, town and region for your emergency kit, from U.S. Geological Survey topo maps, with a reference grid, scale and a plan card to fill in.
• Supply calculatorWork out how much emergency water and food your household needs for 3, 7 or 14 days, including how many cases of bottled water to buy.
• Alarm checkA five-minute smoke and carbon monoxide alarm check for when the clocks change: test the alarms, change batteries, check the age, and make sure you have them in the right places.

Skills

Canning, staying warm, first aid and growing food: skills that get you through the weeks after the first few days.

• Home canningWater-bath and pressure canning, done the tested way
• Canning altitude calculatorAdjust processing time or canner pressure for your elevation
• Staying warmKeep heat in, dress in layers and heat one room safely
• First aid kitWhat goes in a family first aid kit, from the Red Cross list
• Growing foodFast crops, frost dates and keeping seeds ready

Every safety figure on this site comes from official sources, linked at the end of each guide. How we write our guides.