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Build one complete home kit around the official three-day baseline, then add the medicines, documents, food, pet supplies, mobility items and charging equipment your household actually needs. Store water and supplies where floodwater cannot reach them, keep smaller portable kits where family members spend time, and treat the kit as support for evacuation—not permission to enter floodwater or remain in an unsafe building.
Start with the three-day baseline
FEMA and Ready.gov’s emergency-supply checklist uses several days of self-sufficiency as its starting point. The minimum planning target is one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation, plus at least three days of nonperishable food. “Three days” is a floor, not a guarantee that a storm’s effects will end then; households that may be isolated, have difficult evacuation routes or rely on powered medical equipment should plan for more days when they can do so safely.
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| People in the household | Water for three days at one gallon per person per day | Food target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 gallons | At least three days of nonperishable meals and snacks |
| 2 | 6 gallons | At least three days of nonperishable meals and snacks |
| 4 | 12 gallons | At least three days of nonperishable meals and snacks |
| 6 | 18 gallons | At least three days of nonperishable meals and snacks |
These quantities are planning calculations from the checklist’s one-gallon rule, not a prediction of how much water a particular person will consume. Account for infants, older adults, illness, heat, pets and sanitation needs when deciding whether the minimum is enough.
Choose a safe storage location
Keep the main kit in a place that every adult can reach quickly but that is above expected flood levels. A ground-floor closet that can flood, a garage beside a drain or an outdoor shed may be inaccessible after a storm. Use lidded, clearly labeled containers that can be lifted without special equipment, and keep a smaller grab-and-go bag near an exit.
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- Keep bottled or filled water off the floor and away from chemicals, fuel and pesticides.
- Store paper documents in a fireproof, waterproof container; place critical originals in sealed inner protection as well.
- Do not put all supplies in one location. A second cache on a higher floor or with a trusted relative can preserve access if the main storage area floods.
- Leave a clear path to the kit. Do not stack heavy containers where they can fall during wind or where opening a door could trap someone.
Assemble the essential supplies
Water and food
Water is the first item to secure because a power outage can disable pumps and a boil-water notice can make normal tap use unsafe. Use commercially packaged water or clean, covered containers intended for water storage. Include additional water if anyone takes medicine with water, uses water for formula preparation or has a medical condition that increases needs.
Select food that can be eaten with little or no cooking: canned fish, beans, vegetables, fruit, shelf-stable meals, nut or seed products, crackers and other foods your household already eats. Include a manual can opener if any container requires one. Plan for dietary restrictions, allergies, texture needs and infant feeding; a generic box of food is not a substitute for familiar, usable meals.
Keep a written inventory with expiration dates. Rotate items into ordinary meals before they expire and replace them with fresh stock. Pack disposable plates, cups and utensils if washing dishes may be difficult.
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Put a flashlight and spare batteries in the kit, plus a battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio and extra batteries. The FEMA/Ready.gov checklist specifically calls for a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, which can deliver warnings when television and internet service are unavailable. Test every device before hurricane season and keep batteries in their original packaging or another protected holder so loose terminals do not short.
Add an extra cell-phone battery or portable charger and the cables used by each household member. A charger is useful only if it is kept charged before the storm; check it periodically rather than discovering an empty battery during an outage. A car charger can provide another option when roads are open and travel is safe, but it does not replace evacuation planning.
First aid and personal medical needs
Use a first-aid kit as a starting point, then add supplies your household normally uses: prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries, mobility-device accessories, glucose or other monitoring supplies, and copies of medication instructions. Keep medicines in their labeled containers and ask a pharmacist how to protect temperature-sensitive products during a prolonged outage.
Record allergies, major diagnoses, emergency contacts and the location of medical equipment. If a person depends on electricity for oxygen, refrigeration or a powered device, contact the utility and care team before hurricane season about backup power and evacuation arrangements. A general emergency kit cannot make an electrically dependent treatment safe without a specific medical plan.
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Sanitation and hygiene
Include moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, menstrual products, diapers, wipes and other personal-care items. Pack garbage bags and plastic ties for waste and wet clothing. Add a bucket or other container if local authorities advise an alternate sanitation method, and include disinfecting supplies that are safe for the surfaces you may need to clean.
FEMA’s baseline also lists dust masks. They can reduce exposure to nuisance dust during cleanup, but they are not protection against toxic gases, smoke or contaminated floodwater. Use the right protective equipment for the hazard and follow emergency officials’ instructions.
Tools and basic shelter items
Carry a whistle to signal for help, a non-sparking wrench or pliers for utility shutoff tasks, and local maps in case digital navigation fails. Include plastic sheeting and duct tape for temporary sheltering-in-place repairs, not as a reason to remain in a building that authorities have ordered you to leave.
Do not shut off utilities unless officials or a qualified professional tells you to, and never operate a damaged electrical system. A non-sparking tool helps reduce ignition risk around certain utilities, but it does not eliminate hazards from gas leaks, live wires or structural damage.
Documents, money and contact information
Place identification, insurance information, medical records, prescriptions, property documents, emergency contacts and copies of household keys in a dry, safe container. FEMA advises keeping important documents in a fireproof and waterproof container and creating password-protected digital copies. Store encrypted or password-protected copies where household members can reach them without relying on a flooded computer or home network.
Keep a small amount of cash in useful denominations if electronic payments or nearby card terminals are unavailable. Write down phone numbers, addresses, meeting places and evacuation destinations; a paper list still works when a phone battery is dead.
Customize the kit for every person and animal
A household checklist is only complete when it covers the people who will use it. Add these items before the storm threatens:
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- Children: familiar food, bottles or formula supplies, diapers, comfort items, age-appropriate activities and any medicines.
- Older adults: medication schedules, incontinence supplies, hearing or vision aids, mobility equipment and a plan for stairs or transportation.
- Disability and access needs: spare batteries, charging adapters, communication cards, service-animal equipment and backup arrangements for powered devices.
- Pets: several days of food and water, bowls, medicines, a leash or carrier, waste bags, vaccination records and a current photo. Identify shelters or hotels that accept animals because many emergency shelters cannot.
- Work and school schedules: copies of essential supplies in the places household members spend time, not only at home.
Ask each person what would prevent them from using the kit. A child who cannot open a container, a person who cannot read small labels or a pet that refuses unfamiliar food may need a different packing choice.
Make portable kits as well as a home kit
FEMA recommends a full kit at home plus smaller portable kits at work, in a vehicle or anywhere household members regularly spend time. A portable kit should be light enough to carry and should not duplicate every household item. Prioritize water, ready-to-eat food, medicines, a flashlight, a phone-charging option, a small first-aid selection, sanitation supplies, a whistle and contact information.
Keep the vehicle kit secured so it cannot become a projectile, and check it after hot or freezing weather. Do not plan to drive through flooded roads to retrieve a bag. If officials issue an evacuation order, take the safest available route and leave early enough to avoid blocked roads.
Prepare specifically for a power outage
Before the storm
- Charge phones, portable chargers, medical batteries and rechargeable lights.
- Download maps, emergency contacts and critical documents for offline access.
- Set the refrigerator and freezer to their normal cold settings before the storm; avoid opening doors once the power fails.
- Fill approved water containers and place them where floodwater cannot contaminate them.
- Unplug sensitive electronics if utility officials advise doing so, and follow the utility’s instructions for reporting outages.
Ready.gov graphics advise keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed during an outage. The duration for which food remains safe depends on the appliance, how full it is, the surrounding temperature and other conditions; use local public-health guidance rather than an invented universal time limit.
During the outage
Use flashlights instead of candles where possible. Keep the radio tuned to official alerts and conserve phone power by reducing screen use. Check on neighbors who may need assistance, but do not enter a damaged or flooded building. If indoor temperatures become dangerous or medical equipment cannot be supported, move to an approved cooling, warming or shelter location.
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Use generators, grills and camp stoves without creating carbon monoxide
Fuel-burning equipment can produce odorless, deadly carbon monoxide. FEMA/Ready.gov’s How to Stay Safe When a Hurricane Threatens hazard sheet (FEMA V-1006, March 2024) states:
“Use a generator, grill or camp stove ONLY outdoors and at least 20 feet away from any building openings like windows, doors or garages to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.”
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Follow that distance and keep exhaust pointed away from the building. Never operate a generator, grill or camp stove in a home, garage, basement, crawl space, enclosed porch or vehicle, even if doors or windows are open. Install and test carbon-monoxide alarms according to their instructions, and leave immediately for fresh air if an alarm sounds or anyone develops headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea or confusion.
Use only the fuel and electrical connections approved for the equipment. A transfer switch installed by a qualified electrician is required for a generator that will connect to household wiring; do not feed power into a wall outlet. Keep fuel containers away from ignition sources and never refuel hot equipment.
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Flooding changes what is safe
Floodwater is not ordinary rainwater. Ready.gov warns that it may contain downed power lines, sewage, bacteria, chemicals, sharp objects and animals. You cannot see all of these hazards, and a home emergency kit does not neutralize them.
FEMA/Ready.gov’s March 2024 hurricane hazard sheet uses the instruction “Turn around, don’t drown!” It notes that six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person down and one foot can sweep a vehicle away. Do not walk, swim or drive through a flooded road, walkway or underpass, and do not touch electrical equipment while standing in water.
Follow local evacuation orders, shelter instructions and route closures. If evacuation is likely, move documents, medicines, pets and the portable kit first, then leave while roads are passable. If authorities tell you to shelter, move to the safest available level and stay away from windows, floodwater and damaged utilities. Call emergency services for life-threatening danger rather than attempting a rescue in moving water.
Preassembled kit or supplies assembled yourself?
Either approach can work. The decision is about coverage and auditability, not a particular brand or product model.
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| Preassembled emergency kit | Faster starting point; supplies may arrive in one portable container. | Water quantity, food suitability, battery condition, expiration dates, can opener, sanitation items and whether the container can be carried. Add medicines, pet supplies, documents and access-specific items separately. |
| Assemble individually | Exact control over diets, medical needs, quantities, packaging and duplicate locations. | Use the full official checklist so convenience does not lead to missing communications, light, first aid, sanitation or utility tools. |
| Hybrid | Combines a ready baseline with household-specific additions and portable kits. | Inventory every component and remove duplicates that add weight without adding useful capacity. |
No package is complete merely because its label says “emergency.” Open it, count the water, test the radio and flashlight, check dates and add what your household cannot do without.
Inspect and maintain the kit
Set a recurring reminder at the start and end of hurricane season, and check after every use. Use this maintenance sequence:
- Count water and food against the number of people and pets currently in the household.
- Replace expired or damaged food, medicines, batteries and hygiene products.
- Charge portable batteries and rechargeable lights, then test the radio, flashlight and phone cables.
- Confirm that documents, maps, contact lists and evacuation information are current.
- Repack supplies so the heaviest items are stable and the grab bag can be lifted quickly.
- Recheck the kit after a move, a new medical diagnosis, a new pet, a pregnancy, a change in household size or a change in local evacuation routes.
Common mistakes that make a kit fail
- Buying only food: Without water, light, communications, medicines and sanitation, the kit does not address the main problems of an outage.
- Keeping everything on the floor: Floodwater can destroy the entire supply at once.
- Assuming a generator solves every problem: Fuel, safe placement, wiring and maintenance are separate requirements, and a generator cannot make floodwater safe.
- Forgetting the can opener: Canned food is unusable if no manual opener is available and electricity is out.
- Relying on a phone alone: A dead battery or network outage removes access to maps, contacts and alerts.
- Ignoring pets and accessibility: A household member may be unable to evacuate or use supplies that were chosen without their needs in mind.
- Treating the three-day amount as a promise: It is the checklist’s minimum planning baseline, not a forecast of recovery time.
- Entering floodwater to save property: Hidden electrical, biological, chemical and physical hazards are more dangerous than the item being retrieved.
A final pre-storm check
Before a hurricane arrives, confirm that you have the baseline water and food, a radio with spare batteries, a flashlight, first aid, a whistle, sanitation supplies, a non-sparking wrench or pliers, a can opener, local maps, phone charging, medicines, documents, pet supplies and a portable bag. Move the kit above likely flood levels, charge devices, close the refrigerator and freezer when power fails, and know where you will go if officials order evacuation. The most useful kit is the one you can reach, carry and use without taking a new risk.
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