Start Here
You don't have to figure this out all at once.
Most of us are one power outage away from wishing we'd done a little planning. This takes less than 10 minutes and costs nothing to start.
The honest truth about getting ready
Here's the honest truth: getting ready is simpler than it sounds. It comes down to the ordinary stuff that actually happens to ordinary households — and a few small steps that cover most of it.
Here's what really happens: the power goes out, or a storm rolls through, or the water isn't safe for a couple of days. Most disruptions are over in 24 to 72 hours. The people that handle them best aren't the most worried ones — they just have a simple plan and a few basics on hand.
And if you're reading this thinking you should have started years ago — you're not behind. Starting today is exactly right. A few small steps now will cover you for the things that are actually likely to happen.
The four things that actually matter
Forget the long lists. Almost everything comes back to these four.
Water
A few days of clean water. That's it.
Power
Keep phones charged and food cold.
Food
Shelf-stable meals you already eat.
Communication
Know where your people are.
What's most likely where you live?
Pick whatever feels closest to home. We'll walk you through it.
Your next three steps
All free, all quick. Do them in order, or just start with whichever feels easiest.
Read a plain-language guide
Step-by-step prep for the most common emergencies — at your own pace.
Pick your most likely situation
See exactly what to do, starting with the free stuff.
Calculate how much water your household needs
Enter your household size and get an exact target.
Or, do all three at once.
Answer a few questions about your home and get a personalized plan — your water and power numbers, your first 72 hours, and a playbook for the situations that apply to you, all in one document. Takes about 2 minutes. Free to see your numbers — the full plan comes by email.
Build my readiness planFree printable
The Household Redundancy Ledger
Everything you’d need in an outage — contacts, meeting points, account numbers, medications — usually lives on a phone that may be dead. This is the paper copy. Fill it in once, keep it where everyone can find it.
No email required, and nothing you write on it is sent anywhere — it’s a blank form.
Get the LedgerThere's no right way to do this. Some people start with water, some with power, some just want a guide to follow. All of those are fine. The only thing that doesn't work is waiting until you need it.
Free. No account needed.