Many cities publish guidelines on how to prepare for a range of events, such as a weather-related emergency or an industrial accident. Houston’s Emergency Preparedness Guide offers advice for two types of emergencies – one for staying at home without water or power, and another for a prepared bag you can take if you need to evacuate.
In 2013 the Census Dept.asked people how prepared they were for disasters. The questions covered a number of emergency readiness goals including:
Emergency water supply – 3 gallons for each person in the household
Nonperishable emergency food – enough to feed everyone for 3 days
Emergency evacuation kit
Emergency meeting location
Communication plan – including a plan if there’s no cell phone service
Evacuation vehicle – able to carry everyone in the household up to 50 miles away
Evacuation funds – for expenses up to $2,000
House or building number clearly visible
A generator
Access to financial information