Home Emergency Preparedness: The Essential Supplies Every Household Needs

Emergency management agencies in several U.S. states publish near-identical guidance on what a household should keep on hand before a storm, flood, wildfire, winter outage or other disruption cuts off normal services. The core recommendation is the same everywhere: enough water, food, light, communication and first aid to get through several days without outside help, plus a written plan for how household members will reach each other if phones or networks go down.

Water, food and power: the non-negotiables

The Texas Division of Emergency Management's disaster supply checklist and the Weather Underground disaster-kit guide both specify one gallon of water per person, per day, with a three-day minimum supply, for drinking and sanitation. North Carolina's Ready NC program recommends the same one-gallon-per-person-per-day rate but suggests scaling it to three to seven days per person and pet, a wider window than the three-day figure used in Texas and by Weather Underground.

On food, Texas and Weather Underground both call for at least a three-day supply of non-perishable, canned or pouched food plus a manual can opener, while Ready NC again frames its target as three to seven days of equivalent supplies. For power and information, the common list across all three sources is a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries for both.

1. Store one gallon of water per household member (and per pet) for each day of the chosen planning window.
2. Stock non-perishable, ready-to-eat or easy-to-prepare food, plus a manual can opener.
3. Pack a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight, and spare batteries for both.
4. Assemble a first aid kit and set aside a several-day supply of every household member's prescription medication.
5. Gather sanitation items: moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties and household bleach.
6. Place copies of IDs, insurance policies, prescriptions and bank records in a waterproof, portable container.
7. Write a family communication plan naming an out-of-state contact and a meeting place.
8. Check expiration dates and battery charge on the whole kit on a recurring schedule.

First aid, medication and sanitation

Texas's checklist describes a first aid kit containing bandages, gauze, ointments, pain relievers, a thermometer and gloves. Ready NC's version adds antibiotic cream, burn cream, scissors, tweezers and non-prescription aspirin and antacid. Both sources emphasize keeping all prescription medications in the kit; Ready NC specifically notes that medications should be rotated to account for their expiration dates. Weather Underground's list adds household bleach, which it says can be used diluted as a disinfectant or, in an emergency, to treat water, along with moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, and other personal hygiene items such as feminine supplies for sanitation when normal plumbing is unavailable.

Documents, cash and a communication plan

Both Texas and Weather Underground stress keeping important paperwork together in a waterproof, portable container. Texas's list includes photo IDs, insurance cards, prescription information, medical records, family contact numbers, and property documentation such as household inventory photos. Weather Underground adds insurance policies, identification and bank account records, plus cash or traveler's checks and change.

Salt Lake County Emergency Management recommends a four-step process for a family communication plan: discuss emergency scenarios and contact methods with everyone in the household, tailor the plan to specific needs such as ages, medical conditions, disabilities or pets, write the plan down, and practice it. A central element is naming an out-of-town or out-of-state contact that every household member calls or emails to report their location if local phone networks are overloaded or down.

How many days of supplies is enough? Sources differ

Agencies do not fully agree on the planning horizon. Texas's checklist and Weather Underground's guide both use a three-day minimum. North Carolina's Ready NC program recommends three to seven days. The table below summarizes each source's stated figures.

Special needs: infants, pets and mobility equipment

Both Texas and Ready NC list separate supplies for infants, including formula, bottles, diapers and baby wipes. For pets, both sources call for a three-day supply of food and water along with medications, vaccination or immunization records, a leash or carrier, and a current photo for identification. Texas's checklist also lists mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers and canes, a cooler with cold packs for medications, and communication devices or service-animal documentation for household members with disabilities. Ready NC separately notes hearing aid batteries and communication cards as functional-needs items, as well as extra eyeglasses, contact lens supplies or dentures for adults.

Keeping the kit ready

Guidance on how often to check a kit is limited in the sources reviewed, but Ready NC specifically flags rotating medications to track expiration dates, and several sources implicitly assume supplies are checked and refreshed since canned food, batteries and medicine all have shelf lives. Building the kit around the longest planning window a household can afford — up to the seven days some agencies suggest — and periodically swapping out expiring food, water and medication keeps it usable when it is actually needed.