Choose with confidence

Build a family emergency communication plan with an out-of-area contact, meeting places, written numbers and clear check-in steps for outages or evacuation.

A home emergency kit stays available for sheltering in place; a go-bag travels with you. Compare storage, contents, household needs and how to keep both ready.

Build a 72-hour emergency kit from the Ready.gov basic list: water, food, radio, light, first aid, documents and medications, scaled for kids, seniors and pets.

Prepare for power outages: what to do before, food safety rules for fridges and freezers, safe heating and lighting, carbon monoxide safety, and medical devices.

Compare emergency food by total calories, preparation water, storage instructions and packaging dates instead of advertised servings alone.

Compare bottled water, portable food-grade jugs, large drums and bathtub bladders for emergency storage by portability, space, preparation and rotation.

Store emergency water safely: 1 gallon per person per day, self-filled water rotation and CDC treatment by boiling or bleach.

Emergency food compared: freeze-dried meals, MREs and canned and shelf-stable food by shelf life, calories, water needed, weight, storage temperature and cost.

How NOAA Weather Radio works, why SAME county coding and Public Alert certification matter, and how to choose desktop, portable and hand-crank weather radios.

Compare NOAA Weather Radio AC, replaceable batteries, rechargeable packs and hand-crank charging for alerts at home, in a go-bag or during an outage.

Size a portable power station for outages: watt-hours vs watts, inverter losses, LiFePO4 vs NMC batteries, solar recharging and runtimes for common devices.

Compare battery power stations and portable fuel generators for outage duration, indoor placement, replenishment, power output and the loads you need to run.

Stay warm safely in a winter power outage: pick one warm room, layer clothing and bedding, use rated sleeping bags and emergency blankets, and avoid carbon monoxide.

Compare a sleeping bag, layered bedding and emergency blankets for sleeping through a home outage by room setup, movement, storage and fit.