Today is, understandably, a solemn day. Whether you experienced the events of eight years ago in person, like Sherry who watched the towers fall, or like me watching on television while worrying about family who worked in New York City and Washington, D.C., this date still carries weight. We were fortunate that our loved ones were unharmed, but our thoughts remain with those who lost family and friends.
Rather than only reflecting, we decided to use this anniversary to take practical steps for the future. Recently I’ve been focused on emergency preparedness through a project at work, and it’s become clear that many people don’t give much thought to preparing their homes for emergencies. Inspired by that work, I took a closer look at what we have actually implemented at home. Below is our Emergency Supply Kit audit and what we learned in the process.
We used the suggested Emergency Supply Kit list from MakeAPlan.org to evaluate our readiness. The first item on the list is water—the recommendation is three gallons per person. For this we were relatively well prepared. A few years ago we bought a large case of bottled water specifically to have on hand for times when clean water might be unavailable. We keep it stored out of the way in the kitchen and only tap into it occasionally. After checking supplies, we gave ourselves a solid B+ in this category.
The next priority is food, specifically a three-day supply of non-perishables. This is one area where we could improve. We often have canned goods and other shelf-stable items after a recent grocery trip, but we don’t consistently maintain a separate three-day emergency stock. We do at least keep a manual can-opener on hand, which is essential if power or convenience tools fail. For food, our grade comes in around a C—adequate for short-term needs but in need of more consistent planning.
When it comes to supplies for our pet, we do very well. We always keep at least five days’ worth of Burger’s food in the house. Since the store that carries his preferred kibble is not nearby, we stock up when we visit, and Burger is a small eater at about eight pounds, so five days of food doesn’t take up much room. This category earns us an A+.
I originally thought our battery-powered radio situation was strong, but a quick check revealed that the batteries in our guest room’s plug-in radio with battery backup had died; we had been depending on the power cord alone. At first it seemed like a failing grade, but then I remembered our shower radio, which is battery operated. That, plus a few spare batteries tucked away in a kitchen drawer, brought us back into solid standing. Overall, we scored well on being able to receive battery-powered broadcasts during an outage.
Our flashlight readiness is another mixed result. We do have a flashlight available, but we lack spare batteries specifically allocated for it. That reduces our rating in this category to about a B-. It’s a simple fix: set aside extra batteries and rotate them periodically so they’re ready when needed.
We were pleased to find a fire extinguisher and what we initially thought was a full-sized first aid kit. It turns out the kit is a compact Pet First Aid Kit, intended for animals. Fortunately, it contains many of the basic supplies humans would need in a minor emergency, though in smaller quantities. Given that limitation, we’d rate our first aid preparedness at a B- and plan to supplement the kit with additional human-specific items and bandages.
Taking everything into account, I’d give our home’s basic Emergency Supply Kit an overall grade of around a B. We have several important items in place, but there’s room for improvement—particularly in consistently maintaining a separate food supply and keeping spare batteries and human first-aid supplies on hand.
If you haven’t taken stock recently, now is a good time to review your own supplies and emergency plans. Have you prepared a kit, assembled a family plan, or identified local alert systems? I’d love to hear where you stand and any tips you’ve found useful for staying ready without creating unnecessary redundancy in your home.
For more detailed guidance, consult official resources such as Ready.gov and MakeAPlan.org, which provide clear checklists and recommendations for assembling emergency kits and planning for various scenarios. While it’s wise to be prepared, I also hope none of us ever have to rely on these supplies in a real emergency.
PS: If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area, consider registering for local emergency alerts. The Capitalert project is an example of a service that sends government-issued alerts via text or email. It’s the project I’ve been working on at the office and can help you stay informed during local emergencies.