Generic preparedness advice is a good start, but your risks depend on where you live. A family in Minnesota, one in Oklahoma and one in Tampa need some of the same basics, but they plan for different things. The good news is that the federal government offers free tools that show you what's most relevant to your area. Here's how to use them in about 15 minutes, followed by a checklist and a Florida example.
Step 1: Check your county in FEMA's National Risk Index (5 minutes)
FEMA's National Risk Index data shows which U.S. counties and census tracts are most at risk from 18 natural hazards, including inland and coastal flooding, heat waves, cold waves, winter weather, ice storms, tornadoes, wildfire, earthquakes and hurricanes. FEMA retired the old standalone National Risk Index website. The data now lives in FEMA's free Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT), a map where you can turn on the National Risk Index layer and zoom to your county. Look at which hazards rank highest for your area and write down the top three.
The index measures risk for a community, not your specific home. Treat it as a starting point for your planning, not a forecast.
Step 2: Set up official alerts (5 minutes)
- Make sure Wireless Emergency Alerts are turned on in your phone's settings.
- Bookmark your local forecast at weather.gov. You can search by city or zip code.
- Consider a NOAA Weather Radio, which broadcasts NWS warnings 24/7 and works without internet.
- Sign up for your county's local alert system, which Ready.gov’s alerts page explains, and your utility's outage alerts.
Step 3: Match your top risks to the right guidance (5 minutes)
Ready.gov has a page for each hazard. Open the ones for your top three:
- Floods: ready.gov/floods. Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater.
- Extreme heat: ready.gov/heat. Know where you can cool off, and check on neighbors.
- Winter weather: ready.gov/winter-weather
- Tornadoes: ready.gov/tornadoes. Know your safe room or interior space.
- Wildfires: ready.gov/wildfires
- Earthquakes: ready.gov/earthquakes
- Hurricanes: ready.gov/hurricanes
- Power outages, which come with many of these hazards: ready.gov/power-outages
Your local-risk checklist
The basics, for every area (from Ready.gov’s kit list):
- Water: one gallon per person per day for several days
- Several days of non-perishable food and a manual can opener
- Flashlights, a battery or hand-crank radio, and extra batteries
- A first aid kit, prescriptions and copies of important documents
- Battery-backed carbon monoxide detectors on every level
- A household plan for alerts, shelter, evacuation and contacting each other (Ready.gov plan builder)
Add-ons based on your top risks:
- If flooding ranks high: keep documents in waterproof storage, know your evacuation route, and keep your kit off the floor.
- If heat ranks high: plan where you'll go if the power and AC fail, and store extra water, since in very hot weather water needs can double.
- If winter weather ranks high: keep warm layers and blankets, protect your pipes and pack a car kit.
- If tornadoes rank high: choose a shelter spot and keep shoes and a flashlight nearby.
- If wildfire ranks high: keep a go bag ready and learn your evacuation routes.
A Florida example
Florida households usually plan for more than one hazard. Depending on where you live, that can include summer heat, heavy rain and flooding, lightning-season thunderstorms, power outages and, yes, tropical storms and hurricanes. A practical Florida checklist builds on the basics above:
- Plan for extended outages and heat, using Ready.gov's heat and power outage guidance.
- Know whether you live in an evacuation zone. Ready.gov’s hurricane page says to learn your evacuation zone and routes, and your local officials can tell you which zone you're in.
- Store more water than you think you'll need. Hot weather raises how much you drink.
- Keep important documents in a safe deposit box, on an external drive or in the cloud, and document and insure your property ahead of time (Ready.gov financial preparedness).
A word on generators
If you use a portable generator, run it outside only. The CDC says never to use a generator inside your home or garage, even with doors and windows open, and the CPSC adds crawlspaces and sheds to that list. Ready.gov says generators and fuel should be at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. The CDC calls carbon monoxide an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death and recommends a battery-powered or battery backup CO detector in your home whenever you use a generator. Ready.gov says to let the generator cool before refueling. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. The CPSC calls this "backfeeding" extremely dangerous: it creates an electrocution risk for utility workers and neighbors served by the same transformer, and it bypasses some of your home's built-in circuit protection. If you want a generator connected to your home's wiring, talk to a licensed electrician about a properly installed transfer switch. That's not a DIY job.
Start with the basics
Whatever your top three risks turn out to be, the core kit stays the same, and that's the easiest place to start. PrepWell's 4-Person 72-Hour Emergency Kit and 2-Person 72-Hour Emergency Kit cover the basics, the Premium Power Outage Kit helps with the outages that come with most hazards, and the 15-Gallon Water Storage Tank takes care of water. Add the extras your local risks call for, and you'll have a plan that fits where you actually live.