According to a 2025 survey by Talker Research, 9 in 10 Americans say extreme weather makes it important to be prepared — yet fewer than half actually have a disaster plan.
If you’re wondering how to prepare for emergencies, you’re not alone. Follow the steps below to break down prepping into manageable, practical actions.
If you’re reading this page, you’ve already achieved this. Congratulations!
As you start to begin your journey towards self-reliance and preparedness, it is crucial to acknowledge what this means. Do NOT fall for the doomer “lone wolf” mentality.
Community is key to survival. Don’t isolate yourself. Connect with your neighbors and build strong relationships. By working together, you’ll have a better chance of overcoming challenges and thriving in difficult times.
Why does FEMA tell us to prepare our homes for a minimum of 72 hours?
Because the federal government will not respond to any wide-scale disaster for 72 hours.
Due to the complex bureaucratic process, it will often likely take several days before FEMA can provide resources to your area. Keep in mind this is the minimum amount of time you should have adequate resources for (ideally 7-10 days).
Before you begin your journey of longer-term self-reliance, begin by building a kit with enough food, water and other resources to sustain your household for a minimum of 3 days. You should prioritize water above all other resources.
Start with the most urgent needs. Ask yourself: does your vehicle need major repairs? Are you carrying high-interest debt? If these issues can’t be resolved right away, work on identifying the root causes and take steps toward correction.
Then, make sure you have the basics covered. Do you have enough food and water to sustain your family for at least 72 hours? Download our checklist here.
By tackling these immediate concerns, you’ll eliminate the majority of common problems people face. Once those essentials are in place, you can focus on building out longer-term preparedness plans.
Consider the 3x3x3x3 approach:
Don’t try to boil the ocean – do not overspend or neglect current priorities to prepare for what’s ahead. Focus, plan, and take small steps when you’re able to.
Remember the importance of an emergency fund. If you want to begin buying items while building your emergency fund, start small. For example, if you can manage $100/month to dedicate towards resiliency, put $75 in your emergency fund and $25 towards resources.
Once your 72-hour kit is established, you can explore other ways of building resiliency in your home.
After identifying what to prepare for, what you already have, and what your budget is, highlight areas for improvement and focus on closing the gaps.
**IMPORTANT** Don’t purchase the cheapest items just to check them off a list. Low-quality items are more likely to break, fail, or underperform. Invest in fewer high-quality items that you can rely on to build a well-equipped kit with reliable gear.
When you have the skills to take care of yourself and your surroundings, you’ll be better equipped to solve problems and find creative solutions to challenges. Start with the skills that are most relevant to your lifestyle and goals. As you gain proficiency in these areas, you can gradually expand your skillset.
Suggestions on where to start:
Basic Survival Skills
Practical Skills
Once short-term actions like evacuation plans, emergency kits, and communication strategies are established, focus on long-term resiliency activities to ensure that you and your community can bounce back and recover from an unexpected event.
Energy Production
Food Production
Water Acquisition
The best place to start is with a 72-hour kit: water, food, light, first aid, and backup power for phones. Once you’ve built your kit, you can add more supplies, refine your plan, and tailor it to your household’s specific needs.
Not at all. Preparedness is about everyday disruptions — power outages, storms, water main breaks, or even a job loss. A few simple steps provide peace of mind.
Keep it simple and positive. Frame preparedness like another form of insurance — you hope you won’t need it, but small steps now save a lot of stress later. Involve kids by letting them help pack the kit, choose snacks, and try out a dinner time with just flashlights so power outages feel less scary.
For teens or reluctant adults, point to everyday inconveniences they’ve already experienced (like losing Wi-Fi during an outage, or scrambling when the power goes out) so preparedness feels relevant. And even if others aren’t ready to get on board, don’t let that stop you. Preparing on your own makes your household stronger, and others will appreciate those efforts if an emergency actually happens.
You don’t have to do it all at once. Spend an hour pulling together essentials you already own, then add one or two new items each week. In a month, you’ll be ahead of most households.
FEMA recommends one gallon per person per day for at least three days. That means a family of four needs at least 12 gallons. If space is tight, start smaller with stackable containers or water purification tablets.
You absolutely can start prepping on a budget. Focus first on small, affordable wins — take inventory of what you already have, gradually build your 72-hour kit (1 extra can of food and gallon of water per grocery run) and buy essentials when they’re on sale. Gradually build up your food supplies with our guide to prepping on a budget.
