Flooding, storms and other natural hazards regularly push households to ask the same question: what should actually be in a family emergency plan? Public health and emergency-management agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia publish broadly similar guidance, built around four steps: understand the risk, agree on a plan, assemble supplies, and practice and update it.
Step 1: Identify the hazards that affect your home
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends starting by thinking through the specific emergencies most likely to affect your area and your household's needs, including mobility, medical equipment and service animals, and suggests having a backup plan — such as a lightweight manual wheelchair — for anyone who relies on powered assistive devices. Queensland's state government guidance for flood-prone households similarly starts with knowing the local risk before drafting a plan, since the right evacuation routes and shelter options depend on what hazard you are preparing for.
Step 2: Agree on a communication and meeting plan
CDC guidance says households should list multiple places they could go if they need to evacuate and how they would get there, and should build a contact list of people who support the household's physical, mental or emotional health, including a backup way to reach them if phone networks or power fail.
UK government guidance (Prepare, a campaign run by the Cabinet Office) recommends writing down important phone numbers on paper — emergency contacts, medication lists, insurance details and local radio frequencies — rather than relying only on a phone, since a phone can run out of battery or be lost in an emergency.
Queensland's flood-preparedness guidance adds that evacuation plans should cover workplaces and schools, not just the home, since household members are often away from home when a warning is issued. It also notes that some roads become too dangerous to use during a disaster, so households should identify more than one evacuation route in advance.
Step 3: Assemble supplies and a grab bag
The UK Prepare guidance lists core items for a home emergency kit: a battery or wind-up torch and radio, a portable phone charger and spare batteries, a first aid kit, hand sanitiser and wet wipes, non-perishable food that needs no cooking, backup medication and medical equipment, and bottled water at a minimum of 2.5 to 3 litres per person per day.
The same guidance distinguishes a 'grab bag' — a bag packed in advance for a fast evacuation — from the fuller home emergency kit, and notes one exception: if the household is escaping a house fire, it advises leaving immediately without stopping to gather belongings.
Queensland's guidance adds a practical evacuation detail: households should realistically assess how much can fit in the family vehicle so they can prioritise which kit items and documents to take if evacuation by car becomes necessary.
Step 4: Sign up for warnings, then practice and update the plan
UK guidance directs residents to country-specific flood-risk checkers — the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and NI Direct in Northern Ireland — and recommends signing up for official flood alerts and warnings, plus learning how to shut off gas, electricity and water before flooding reaches a property.
CDC guidance says a plan is not finished once it is written: households should practice carrying it out, review and update it every year, check batteries and other supplies for expiration dates, and share the plan with anyone who provides support to the household.
Core elements compared across agencies
What three official guides recommend| Element | CDC (United States) | UK Government (Prepare) | Queensland Government (Australia) |
|---|
| Supply duration / kit | At least a week of supplies, per general CDC disability-preparedness guidance | Water at 2.5–3 litres per person per day; non-perishable food; torch, radio, charger, first aid kit | Pack a kit; assess realistic vehicle capacity for evacuation |
|---|
| Communication plan | Contact list of support people with backup contact method | Written phone numbers, medication and insurance details on paper | Household plan covers contacts away from home (work, school) |
|---|
| Evacuation planning | Multiple evacuation destinations identified in advance | Grab bag packed in advance; leave immediately in a fire | Multiple routes planned since roads can become impassable |
|---|
| Review cycle | Review and update plan every year; practice it | Not specified in guidance reviewed | Online plan tool takes about 20 minutes to complete |
|---|
Putting it together: an ordered checklist
- Identify the natural hazards most likely in your area (flood, storm, fire or other) before drafting the plan.
- List everyone in the household, including mobility, medical, language and pet or service-animal needs.
- Choose at least two meeting places or evacuation destinations, plus more than one route to reach them.
- Write down emergency contacts and medication/insurance details on paper, not only on a phone.
- Pack a grab bag for fast evacuation and a separate, fuller kit for sheltering at home, including water, food, a torch, radio, charger and first aid supplies.
- Learn how to shut off gas, electricity and water at the mains.
- Sign up for official hazard alerts for your area (such as flood warnings).
- Practice the plan with the household and review or update it at least once a year.
Questions
- How much water and food should an emergency kit contain?
- UK government guidance recommends at least 2.5 to 3 litres of bottled water per person per day, plus non-perishable food that requires no cooking. The exact number of days to stock depends on local official advice for your hazard type.
- Should a family have more than one meeting place?
- Yes. CDC guidance recommends identifying multiple places a household could go if evacuation is needed, and Queensland government guidance adds that evacuation plans should also cover workplaces and schools, not just the home.
- What is the difference between a grab bag and a home emergency kit?
- UK government guidance describes a grab bag as items packed in advance for a fast evacuation, while a fuller home emergency kit (torch, radio, first aid supplies, water, food) is meant for sheltering in place.
- How often should a household update its emergency plan?
- CDC guidance recommends practicing the plan, reviewing and updating it every year, and checking batteries and other supplies for expiration dates.
- Where can I check my flood risk and sign up for warnings?
- In the UK, residents can use country-specific tools from the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, or NI Direct, and sign up for official alerts. Other countries have their own national or state flood-warning registration systems.
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