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1. Water (three days)
- 3 litres of bottled drinking water per person per day, for 3 days (9 litres each)
- Extra water for pets, babies and anyone unwell
- Best-before dates written on the packs
- I know where my stop tap is, and how to turn it off
- I have my water company’s phone number and incident page saved
2. Food (three days)
- 3 days of food that needs no cooking and no fridge
- Manual tin opener
- Baby food, formula or special diet food if needed
- Pet food for 3 days
- Plates, cups and cutlery that need no washing up
3. Light, power and information
- A torch for every adult, and a head torch
- Spare batteries that fit every torch and the radio
- Battery or wind-up FM radio
- Power bank, fully charged, and the right cables
- Car phone charger (if you have a car)
- I know my local BBC radio frequency
- 105 saved in my phone for power cuts (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland)
4. Warmth and shelter
- Blankets or sleeping bags for everyone
- Hats, gloves and warm layers
- Battery carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a boiler, fire or stove
- Smoke alarm on every floor, tested this month
- I know how to turn off the gas and electricity at the meter
5. Health and first aid
- First aid kit, checked and in date
- A few days’ buffer of regular medicines (agreed with my pharmacist or GP)
- Written list of medicines, doses and allergies for each person
- Spare glasses, hearing aid batteries, and other aids
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, toilet roll, bin bags
- At least one adult has done a first aid course, or watched the British Red Cross videos
6. Money, documents and contacts
- Cash in coins and small notes
- Spare house and car keys
- Copies of passports, driving licences, insurance and prescriptions in a waterproof wallet
- Written list of key phone numbers (not only in my phone)
- Household plan filled in and printed
7. People
- We have agreed where to meet if we cannot get home
- We have someone outside the area everyone can contact
- Signed up to the Priority Services Register, if eligible
- I have swapped numbers with at least two neighbours
- I know who nearby is older, alone or may need help
- Children know what to do, and the school’s emergency arrangements
- Plan for pets, including if we have to leave
8. Warnings and local risks
- Checked our long-term flood risk on the official map
- Signed up for flood warnings (if at risk)
- Emergency Alerts left switched on, on every phone
- Know how to check Met Office weather warnings
- Offline maps downloaded for our area
9. Ready to leave
- A grab bag for each person, by the door or under the stairs
- Medicines and chargers ready to grab
- Know at least two routes out of the area
- Car fuel kept above a quarter of a tank
10. Going further: one to two weeks
- Water stretched to 7 days, then 14 days
- Food stretched to 7 days, then 14 days, and rotated
- Water containers for collecting from a bowser
- Camping stove and fuel, for outdoor use only
- Bucket, lid and strong bags for an emergency toilet
- Backup power for phones, lights or medical equipment
- PMR446 walkie-talkies for family or neighbours nearby
Every six months
- Check dates on water, food and medicines; eat or use the oldest first
- Replace batteries and recharge the power bank
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Update phone numbers, the household plan and grab bags
- Swap winter and summer clothes in the grab bags
Need help choosing? See what to buy. Wondering where to begin? Start with prepping for beginners.
Official sources we used
- Be ready for emergencies (Be Ready checklist) (Be Ready, UK Government)
- Prepare an emergency kit (British Red Cross)
- How to prepare your home for 72 hours (British Red Cross)
- Priority Services Register (Energy Networks Association and water companies)
- Sign up for flood warnings (GOV.UK)