How To Prepare for a State of Emergency: A Homeowner's Checklist

Prepare for a state of emergency by planning for potential evacuations, securing your home and practicing emergency procedures with your family. Preparation also includes reviewing your home insurance coverage to ensure you’re protected against the cost of potential disasters.

Preparing for a state of emergency involves creating an evacuation plan, assembling emergency supplies, securing your home and reviewing your insurance coverage.

Homeowners should read on to learn what steps to take to prepare for a potential emergency and how to ensure they have the necessary insurance coverage.

On This Page

• 

  What Is a State of Emergency?

• 

  How To Prepare When There’s a Declared State of Emergency

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  What Should You Do When a State of Emergency Is Declared?

• 

  What Should Homeowners Do After an Emergency?

• 

  Preparing for a State of Emergency at a Glance

• 

  How To Review Your Home Insurance Coverage for a State of Emergency

• 

  Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a State of Emergency?

A state of emergency is a declaration by a state governor or local government leader that grants additional government powers to manage an ongoing or imminent disaster, such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Declaring a state of emergency lets state governments provide resources to communities more quickly and better rescue, evacuate and shelter those displaced by a disaster.^[1]

How To Prepare When There’s a Declared State of Emergency

Being proactive before a declared state of emergency can help you know what to do. For example, if a state of emergency declaration coincides with an evacuation order, knowing where to go and having essential supplies ready can help you and your family stay safe and secure. Below, we’ll cover steps to keep in mind when preparing for a potential state of emergency.

1. Know Which Emergencies Are Most Likely To Occur Where You Live

Identify local risks relevant to your area, such as hurricanes or floods for those living on the Southwest Coast. Since some disasters may have a higher risk of occurring in some parts of the country over others, understanding what threats you’re likely to face can help you better prepare. Below, we’ll cover regions of the country and which disasters are more likely to occur.^[2]

2. Create a Family Emergency Plan

Create a family emergency plan for a possible disaster and how to respond. Make sure everyone knows the designated evacuation location, that someone is responsible for children and senior family members, and that you’ve established a non-local point of contact your family can reach if someone gets separated. Review and practice your plans for severe weather and other emergencies at least once a year with your family, as families that prepare in advance cope better during disasters than those that don’t.^[3][4]

Plan for pets when accounting for evacuations. While emergency shelters typically allow trained service animals to stay with their owners, they may restrict non-service pets due to health and safety reasons.^[3] If you have pets, know what housing options are available, such as pet-friendly hotels outside your area and shelters that may offer safe havens for animals. Planning pet-friendly options in advance can help keep your pets safe and prevent last-minute panic.

3. Build an Emergency Kit

Building an emergency kit in advance can ensure you have the supplies you need during an emergency, when you may need to evacuate and won’t have access to your personal belongings. Aim to keep enough supplies in your emergency kit to last at least seven days, based on your family's specific needs.^[5] For example, if you have children, you may want to include toys and games, while families with pets may need a supply of specialty food.

Some options you may want to include:^[6]

• Store at least one gallon of water per person
• Non-perishable food that doesn’t require cooking
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• A manual can opener
• A well-stocked first-aid kit
• Essential medications
• Copies of essential documents, such as a photocopy of your ID
• Cash
• Basic hygiene items
• Backup batteries or other charging methods for your phone

4. Make an Evacuation Plan

State of emergency declarations don’t always have mandatory evacuations, but preparing in advance can help you know where safe locations are. Many states use evacuation zones to indicate how likely an area is to receive an evacuation order in an emergency. Research your home’s evacuation zone in advance so you know whether you'll need to leave for a shelter.

Identify the closest shelter locations or areas you frequent, such as your local school gymnasium. Plan multiple routes to each shelter, as there may be blockades or road closures due to an emergency you won’t be able to anticipate.

5. Protect Important Documents

You could lose important documents, such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports, during some emergencies, especially if you need to evacuate and don’t have time to gather everything. Make copies of important documents in advance and keep them in your emergency kit so you don’t have to think about them. Also consider storing documents you don’t need regularly in a secure location in your home, such as a weather- and fireproof safe.

6. Create a Home Inventory

Personal belongings could be lost, damaged or destroyed during an emergency, so create a home inventory in case you need to file a claim. Keep records of receipts, serial numbers, purchase dates and physical descriptions of items like furniture, clothing, collectibles, electronics and appliances. Pay attention to high-value items, like jewelry, which may face sublimits on claims without a scheduled personal property endorsement.

7. Review Your Homeowners Insurance Before an Emergency

Review your homeowners insurance before an emergency to better understand your policy. For example, your policy may limit how long you have to file a claim after an emergency damages your home or personal belongings. Also review your coverage limits to ensure they cover the replacement cost of your home if it's totally destroyed.

8. Know Which Disasters Home Insurance May Not Cover

Standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover all disasters. For example, home insurance policies typically exclude earthquakes and floods unless you add an endorsement or purchase a separate policy. Review the potential disasters that could occur in your area and check your policy to see whether you’re covered for related damages or need to add coverage.

9. Prepare Your Home Before the Emergency

In the event you need to leave your home quickly, such as in the event of a wildfire, you can help make your home more secure from potential damage by quickly turning off gas, turning on lights in each room and turning on exterior lights to increase visibility, wetting your roof and nearby foliage to reduce flammability and moving flammable furniture inside and away from doors and windows.^[7] However, if an evacuation order is given or you feel unsafe due to an approaching emergency, your priority should be to leave for shelter rather than attempting to secure your house.

Some emergencies occur with little or no warning, so needed property maintenance can help prevent disasters from worsening existing problems. For example, if your roof needs repair, heavy rain during a hurricane could cause leaks that severely damage your foundation, walls and floor.

Keep your evacuation kit in an easily accessible location or in your car so you don’t waste precious time looking for essentials before you evacuate.

10. Sign Up for Emergency Alerts

Sign up for emergency alerts from your local government to be aware of any state of emergency declarations, including potential evacuation mandates. You can also download various government applications, such as the FEMA app, to receive real-time weather alerts and access disaster resources.^[8]

What Should You Do When a State of Emergency Is Declared?

If a state of emergency is declared, regularly check local news or your local government’s social media page for updates on potential evacuation orders or advice on how to safeguard your home. Follow instructions, especially if you’re told to evacuate via a specific route, as this may indicate certain areas are unsafe or closed. Gather necessary supplies and your family, or contact them to confirm a meeting point if you’re currently separated.

If a potential disaster could damage your home, do your best to safeguard it by securing loose items and boarding up windows. Disasters can damage your home differently — for example, flooding versus a tornado — so prepare accordingly. However, be prepared to leave for a designated safe location if you feel uncomfortable sheltering at home or receive an evacuation mandate, even if your home isn’t completely secure.

What Should Homeowners Do After an Emergency?

After an emergency, wait to return home until local authorities deem the area safe if you’ve evacuated, as there may be hazards like downed trees or power lines. Once it's safe, carefully survey your home’s exterior and interior to check for damage. Take extensive photos of any damage and submit them in a claim to your home insurer.

Make emergency repairs only if necessary. Otherwise, wait until the adjuster visits and your insurer approves your claim.

If the damage to your home is extensive enough that it’s not safe to stay there, ensure you keep receipts for hotels, meals and other additional living expenses until repairs are complete. Include these expenses in your claim, although there may be a limit to how much you’re covered for.

Preparing for a State of Emergency at a Glance

Below, we’ll cover the essential information on preparing for a state of emergency:

• Understand what disasters are most likely to occur in your area and ensure you’re best prepared for them.
• Practice what to do if a state of emergency is declared with your family and determine where you will meet if separated.
• Create an emergency kit with supplies to last at least a week.
• Create copies of important documents and secure the originals in a safe place.
• Review your insurance information to see whether you need additional coverage for certain disasters.

How To Review Your Home Insurance Coverage for a State of Emergency

Check your policy to understand what you are and are not covered for, as home insurance policies can vary in what types of perils they protect you from. Some disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, are excluded unless you add extra coverage. You’ll want to review your coverage limits and verify your dwelling coverage limits meet or exceed your home’s replacement cost — otherwise, you may be underinsured in the event your home is totally destroyed.