Practical plans · peace of mind
Build a family emergency kit with water, familiar food, medicines, lights and comfort items for your kids. Use this printable 72-hour checklist, then build toward a two-week home supply and a practical family plan, one small step at a time.
Prepared, a little at a time.
A plan comes first. A shopping cart can wait.
Your family’s prep list
Start Here
Seven useful steps. Start small, share the jobs, and use what is already at home.
This is a preparation order for a calm day, not a schedule to follow during an active emergency.
Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled and sign up for your city or county’s official alerts. Find your evacuation zone and local shelter information.
Choose an out-of-area contact and two meeting places: near home and outside your neighborhood. Confirm school pickup permissions and a backup caregiver.
Start with at least 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day for 3 days. Add pet water and more for heat, pregnancy or illness. Build toward two weeks if possible.
Check the pantry before buying. Include safe textures, allergy-friendly choices, a manual can opener and the feeding supplies your baby already uses.
Charge phones and power banks, find flashlights, and test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms using their instructions. Prefer battery lights to candles.
Ask your pharmacist or care team about an emergency supply, refrigeration, backup power and when to relocate. Put written instructions with the kit.
Put go-bags where adults can reach them. Add shoes, documents and one comfort item per child. Walk through the plan together; schedule a supply review.
The foundation
Keep a portable bag and a home supply; they can share a plan without needing to fit in one backpack.
Your first layer
Build a three-day foundation for every person and pet. Keep supplies accessible in labeled containers; a home kit can be heavier than a bag you carry. Three days is a starting point, not a promise that services will return.
Build gradually
Add a little of your usual shelf-stable food at a time, aiming for 14 days at home when space and budget allow. Rotate through everyday meals and replace what you use. Local authorities may recommend more.
Ready to leave
Pack portable essentials for about three days, adapted to how you will travel. Test what adults can actually carry. Plan water transport and resupply separately; do not overload children or delay an evacuation to finish packing.
Plan by situation
Follow local instructions first. Open a situation for the practical differences.
Use flashlights or battery lanterns. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. With doors closed, food generally stays cold for 4 hours in a fridge, 48 hours in a full freezer or 24 hours in a half-full freezer. Use a thermometer and CDC’s discard guidance; never taste food to test it.
Make the plan: Check on medical-device power needs and choose a safe place to relocate before backup power runs out.
Know which hazards affect your area. For a tornado warning, move to a basement, safe room or small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building, away from windows. Mobile homes and tents are not safe tornado shelters.
Make the plan: Plan a sturdy shelter in advance. For flooding, move away from floodwater and never walk or drive through it. Follow evacuation orders.
Check official evacuation notices and local air quality. Reduce children’s smoke exposure: stay in cleaner indoor air, close windows and use suitable filtration when it is safe to remain. Leave for a cleaner-air location if home cannot stay safe.
Make the plan: Never put a mask on a child under 2. Respirator fit is difficult for young children; masks do not replace cleaner air or evacuation. Seek urgent medical help for severe breathing trouble.
Gather warm layers and blankets, plan for safe indoor temperatures, and avoid unnecessary travel. Never heat a home with a gas oven, charcoal grill or camp stove. Use installed heating equipment only as directed.
Make the plan: If travel is essential, check road conditions and carry a car kit. Move to a warming location if home is unsafe; hand warmers and emergency bivvies are not a heating plan.
Review water, safe food, sanitation, medical needs, heat and cooling each day. A solar charger is a supplemental option; output depends on conditions. Do not count on a small panel or phone power bank to run medical equipment.
Make the plan: Set a relocation threshold with your family and care team before supplies, safe temperatures or device power become critical. Use official assistance and shelter information.
The safest room and ventilation depend on the hazard. Tornado sheltering differs from chemical-release sheltering. For a chemical incident, follow official instructions about the room, switching off outside air and temporarily sealing openings.
Make the plan: Do not seal a room as a general outage measure. Never operate fuel-burning equipment in a sealed space. Stay tuned for the official all-clear.
Follow official alerts about sheltering or evacuation. If told to shelter, or after a nuclear explosion, get inside the nearest substantial building; brick or concrete offers better protection. Go to its basement or central interior, away from windows, exterior walls and the roof. After a nuclear explosion, plan to remain sheltered for the first 24 hours unless officials direct otherwise or an immediate danger, such as fire or an unstable building, requires moving to safer shelter. Keep pets indoors and listen to a battery radio for updates.
Make the plan: Agree on school and childcare reunification ahead of time. If children are sheltering at school or daycare, follow the facility’s emergency instructions; do not go outside to collect them during a radiation release. If you were outside, follow CDC’s linked cleanup instructions for removing outer clothing and washing exposed skin. Follow radiation-specific public health advice for infant feeding. Take potassium iodide (KI) only when public health officials or a healthcare provider directs it; it is not general radiation protection or a substitute for shelter.
Make it yours
A useful kit reflects your children, routines, care needs and the place you live.
Store at least 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day; for four people that is 12 gallons for three days or 56 gallons for two weeks, plus pet and extra household needs. Use food-grade containers and replace home-filled water every six months.
Follow local boil-water or do-not-use notices. Filters vary: they do not all remove viruses or chemicals. Boiling and disinfecting cannot make fuel- or toxic-chemical-contaminated water safe. Use CDC’s exact treatment instructions.
Choose familiar foods that match allergies, textures and dietary needs. Build a no-cook menu first: crackers with seed butter, ready-to-eat beans or canned protein, and fruit cups. Use small packages when leftovers cannot be refrigerated.
Dry pasta, rice and some oats need safe water and cooking; keep no-cook alternatives. Shelf-stable milk and many packaged foods need refrigeration after opening. Follow labels and discard unsafe food.
Keep a light near beds and exits, plus compatible batteries and charged power banks. Store loose batteries safely and keep button batteries away from children. Test chargers and cables with your devices.
Use generators only outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Never use them in a home or garage, even with doors open. Battery-backed CO alarms are essential.
Write phone numbers on paper. Choose an out-of-area contact; agree on a brief text check-in when networks are busy. Keep official phone alerts enabled and a battery or hand-crank weather radio available.
Download local maps and carry a paper backup. Check school or childcare reunification rules; do not assume normal pickup locations remain open.
Keep a first-aid kit with dressings, gloves, a thermometer and written instructions. Learn age-appropriate first aid and CPR from qualified instructors. Review supplies and expiry dates.
Use medicines only as labeled or directed by your child’s clinician. This checklist is not medical treatment advice. For an immediate life-threatening emergency in the U.S., call 911.
Include soap, safe water, hand sanitizer, wipes, menstrual supplies, toilet paper, diapers and waste bags. Plan for your household’s toileting and continence needs if water or sewer service stops.
Follow local wastewater and disposal instructions; do not flush if officials advise against it. Wipes do not replace handwashing for every situation. Keep waste, chemicals and bags out of children’s reach.
Pack diapers, wipes, spare clothes, familiar food and a comfort item. Plan a safe sleep space: firm, flat and clear, with babies on their backs. Keep tiny objects, plastic bags and loose batteries away from little hands.
Continue your usual safe feeding plan. For formula-fed babies, single-serving ready-to-feed formula is the safest emergency option. Never dilute formula; follow preparation and storage instructions. Plan safe water and cleaning supplies if using powder. Avoid choking hazards and ask your clinician about specialty feeding needs.
Give children one manageable job, such as choosing a book or checking their flashlight with an adult. Practice a contact number and a simple “find a trusted adult” plan. Include offline games, spare glasses and school reunification information.
Use concrete, reassuring language: “Here is how we help each other.” Let teens help with maps and check-ins, while adults keep responsibility for evacuation and safety decisions.
Build around the child’s established routines, safe foods and communication. Pack hearing protection, familiar textures, visual schedules, a communication board or charged AAC device and a low-tech backup. Practice changes gradually when calm.
Write a short caregiver note about communication, distress signs and what helps. Ask about quiet areas and accessibility at possible shelters; availability varies. Hearing protection should not prevent an adult from receiving alerts.
Keep an updated medicine list with doses, allergies, prescriptions, clinician and pharmacy contacts. Ask about an emergency refill supply, temperature limits, cooler arrangements and what to do if a medicine is exposed to unsafe temperatures.
Agree on backup power and an evacuation plan for oxygen, feeding pumps, mobility or other equipment with your care team and supplier. A utility priority list does not guarantee uninterrupted service. Do not change doses or treatments based on this guide.
Keep copies of identification, insurance, prescriptions, emergency contacts, custody or pickup permissions and pet records in a water-resistant pouch. Consider protected digital copies that can be accessed offline.
Add small bills and local maps. Keep originals and sensitive details secure; do not put children’s medical or identity records into a public checklist or shared link. A water-resistant pouch is not a fireproof guarantee.
Include familiar pet food, extra water, medicines, bowls, leash or harness, carrier, waste supplies and vaccination records. Keep identification and microchip contact details current.
Confirm a pet-friendly destination and transport before leaving. Many shelters have different arrangements for pets and service animals; check locally rather than assuming.
Choose a nearby meeting spot, a second location outside the neighborhood and an out-of-area contact. Decide who helps each child, older adult or pet; include a backup person and accessible transport.
Share the plan with caregivers. Practice routes, school pickup and a brief check-in together. Revisit after a move, a new care need or a school change, and review supplies at least every six months. Write private details on your printed copy.
Check the pantry first
Check what you own. Add only what serves your family’s plan; optional gear is clearly marked.
Start with food your family already eats. Check allergies, texture, expiry dates and preparation needs.
Stored safe water comes first. Treatment products have limits.
Battery lights are a simple first step. Test devices together.
Choose accessible supplies and learn to use them before an emergency.
Bring familiar items and protect private information.
Avoid travel in dangerous conditions. Learn your vehicle’s limits.
Keep familiar food and a realistic transport plan.
Quick answers for parents
Find the essentials, then jump to the part of the checklist your family needs.
Start with water, ready-to-eat food, a manual can opener, battery lights, a radio, phone charging, first aid, hygiene supplies and your household’s medicines and equipment. Add safe feeding supplies, spare clothes, comfort items and pet essentials. Build around the people who will use the kit.
Compare the three family kit typesThey serve different jobs. A portable go-bag holds about three days of essentials you can carry. A home supply can cover two weeks when space and budget allow. Three days is a starting point; follow local recommendations and plan earlier relocation if medical needs or unsafe conditions require it.
Plan your two-week home supplyAt a baseline of 1 gallon per person per day, four people need at least 12 gallons for three days or 56 gallons for two weeks. Add water for pets and extra needs such as heat, pregnancy or illness. Store it safely and follow local water notices.
Read water storage and treatment guidanceInclude diapers, wipes, spare clothes, familiar age-appropriate food, a comfort item and feeding and cleaning supplies. For formula-fed babies, single-serving ready-to-feed formula is the safest emergency option. Never dilute formula. Plan a safe infant sleep space and ask your care team about specialty feeding needs.
Adapt the checklist for babies and toddlersPack familiar safe foods, comfort items, hearing protection and communication backups that match your child’s routines. Keep a written medicine and care plan. Ask your care team or equipment supplier about emergency refills, refrigeration, backup power and when to relocate.
Plan for sensory and medical needsBegin with a family contact plan and an inventory of what you already own. Add a little of your usual shelf-stable food and water when you can, rotate what you use and prioritize essential care needs. Optional equipment and affiliate purchases are not required to use this checklist.
Start with the first-day prioritiesYes. Checks save automatically in this browser on this device. Use Save offline checklist for a text file with your current checks, or Print / save PDF to keep a paper or PDF copy. Saved files do not update automatically. These controls do not upload family names, medical details or a private family plan.
Save or print your checklistKeep the source close
Bookmark local alerts before you need them. Agencies below provide the current, detailed instructions.
This family planning guide brings together the official resources linked below. Safety guidance follows Ready.gov, FEMA, CDC, the American Red Cross and local emergency authorities; adapt supplies to your family and follow current local instructions.
Guidance reviewed November 3, 2026. This is a general preparation guide, not live alerts or medical advice. Follow current local evacuation, shelter, water and health instructions. Official guidance and product availability can change. Shopping links do not imply agency endorsement.
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