We have the potential for so many things to happen right now which means we need to be prepared. We have had very damaging natural disasters in the last year that have awakened a good deal of people. We have the potential for more to happen. A nuclear war could happen and we are now being told to prepare for that possibility. As a country, we have enemies who have biological and chemical weapons to take us out. They could get mad enough to attack us.

In other words, a disaster could be coming! What should you be doing?

There are several things you should be doing. Hopefully, you are not home alone because this is a good time to recruit anyone living with you to help. In fact, they shouldn’t be given a choice about whether to help. Time is of the essence here.

Also, you have many unknowns. You don’t know if the water will be available or safe to drink. You might or might not have power. You might have days or only hours to get ready. You might have a chance to get to the store for last-minute supplies or you might not. You don’t know.

This checklist is to keep you on track and help you plan for getting ready. This list is not necessarily in order of priority except for the first two items. Water and food are non-negotiable and should be your top priority after shelter which hopefully you already have.

20-Point Checklist to Get You Prepared for the Next Disaster!

1. Secure your water storage. You should be filling every container you can with water for storage. You will need drinkable and non-drinkable water. If you have the chance to go to the store, pick up more water. No matter what, water should be your number one priority to have on hand.

2. Take stock of your food storage. Do you have everything you need to go a week, two weeks, a month, or three months without leaving home? If you think you have enough food, I would add more food to your storage. Make sure you have a good mix of ready-to-eat, easy-to-prepare, and ingredients to make meals.

3. Take care of any chores that take water. Throw in a load of laundry. Wash dishes. Clean what needs to be cleaned. The last thing you want to have to worry about is dirty laundry and dishes.

4. Get your auxiliary power sources ready to go. Make sure you have fuel for the generators. Make sure your solar chargers and external batteries are charged. Whatever you need to do for power, get it ready.

5. Gather your supplies to cover windows and doorways. You need heavy clear plastic and duct tape to cover windows and doorways. You can also use plywood and screws to cover windows, but you want to seal up anything on your structure that could leak or be broken. Get ready to cover windows and doors or go ahead and get started.

6. Gather your cold-weather clothing. If it is winter and you could lose power, you want to be able to stay warm. Make sure you have stocking caps, gloves, scarves, warm shoes and socks, coats, boots, and lots of layers to stay warm. In case of a nuclear war or an exploding volcano, you might have to worry about the resulting ash cloud which would keep your climate considerably cooler.

7. Be prepared to stay in one room. Ideally, you want to heat only one room when using auxiliary heat. Be ready to seal off a room by hanging heavy blankets over open doorways and keeping emergency supplies in it. Add extra seating by moving chairs or couches into that room for everyone’s comfort.

8. Have your auxiliary heat sources ready to go. If you have a wood stove, get your kindling in the house and your firewood stacked by the house or inside. If you are using kerosene or propane heaters, be sure you have kerosene or propane tanks filled and ready to go. I would also have battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors ready to use with the batteries checked for freshness.

9. Make a plan for your pets. If you need to bring them in, make a plan for that and add extra water to your preps for those pets. You need to have a safe place for them. They are your responsibility and leaving them to fend for themselves is not a good plan. If you have to leave your home, be ready to take them with you in a pet carrier and have food, water, and leashes in a tote or bag.

10. Do you have gas stored? You should check your gas stores and see if the gas is good. You might need that gas for your generator, chainsaw, and/or your vehicle. If you don’t have any gas stored, you will want to get some in case gas pumps are not working or have run out of gas. I would get non-oxygenated gas and a gas stabilizer for long-term storage.

11. Check your batteries, flashlights, and radios. Make sure you have plenty of batteries for your flashlights. Some flashlights take AA, AAA, C, or D batteries, depending on the flashlight’s size. Many of your LED lanterns use batteries, too. You also need a dependable radio to listen to the news and for any emergency alerts. Make sure you have batteries for that too. Also, make sure all your flashlights and radios are currently working.

12. Get your bug-out bags ready to go. You might have to leave your home. Even though bugging in is usually your best option, you may have no choice but to leave. Get your bug-out bags ready to go by the chosen exit door. You will also want your 72-hour kit and some cases of water ready to go, too. If you have time, fill your chosen bug-out vehicle with gas and get your vehicle emergency kits in order, too. Be ready to leave.

13. Get everyone home if possible. If you or your spouse is at work, you should head home and do what you can to get ready. If your kids are at daycare or school, get them home or keep them home. You want everyone at home when a disaster is imminent. You don’t want to worry about everyone, and you will need help getting ready.

14. Make sure you are ready to defend yourself. This is important, especially if you live in an urban setting. Looters can and will be coming. Be ready to defend your home and your family. Have a way to block doors and ground-level windows. Have your gun ready to use. Be mentally ready to defend yourself by any means necessary.

15. Secure or store everything that is outside inside. Put your cars and bicycles inside if possible. All your lawn/patio/porch furniture should be put away or stored inside. All your outdoor plants should be brought in. Your grill should be put in the garage, but in a spot where it can be used easily. Anything that could become a projectile outside should be put away. Usually, bad weather brings high winds that can blow your outdoor items into another building or your home. You want to eliminate as many problems as possible and having a patio chair through your window would definitely cause more problems.

16. Get your entertainment supplies together. Otherwise called boredom busters, have some things to do to entertain yourself and your family. Make a pile of books to read, games to play, knitting or crocheting to do, and anything else that takes no electricity to do or play. You will have downtime or need to be distracted during a disaster. Plan for this because (1) if you have little ones, they will need to be distracted and (2) we all need to be distracted in times of stress and will need something to do to pass the time.

17. Make that last trip to the store if you have time. As preppers, we would like to think we have everything covered. However, that last-minute trip to the store might not hurt. You can grab more water, food, batteries, and any missing supplies. If you only have a few hours before the disaster, I would skip the trip to the store unless it is an absolute emergency. The stores will likely be cleaned out anyway.

18. Get some extra cash to have after the disaster. If you have time before the disaster, grab some cash. You don’t know whether you will need it, but you likely don’t want to be without it. At least $100 would be ideal to have on hand, but get the amount you can afford and feel comfortable with.

19. Have a plan for sanitation. What will you do for sanitation? If you are using the toilets, you will need extra water for flushing. You will need to explain to the others when to flush and when not to. If you are using buckets and bags, you will need a way to dispose of the waste. Also, have plenty of toilet paper and flushable wipes on hand. You will also need a plan for trash. If you can compost, you will need a place to do that. If you can burn trash, you will need a way to do that. I would also make sure the trash cans have good, tight-fitting lids.

20. Assign everyone a chore or responsibility that they are in charge of. Getting through a disaster is mostly about survival, but no single person should do all the work. Everyone can pitch in and make life a little more bearable for everyone during a disaster. There is plenty for everyone to do before, during, and after a disaster. Give everyone something to do.

This is a basic checklist. Some of you will not have to worry about all these things. Some of you will have more to worry about than these things. I would print out this checklist and personalize it for yourself to develop your own plan. While you will be worrying about these things leading up to a disaster, a lot of this checklist can be done long before any disaster hits.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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Updated 4/7/2026

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