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Prepare before a storm by learning your local flood risk, signing up for official alerts, and making a household evacuation plan. If a flash flood warning is issued, follow local instructions and move to safety without walking, swimming, or driving through floodwater. Wait for authorities to say it is safe before returning home.
Prepare your household before a storm
Check your flood risk and local guidance
Look up your home and common travel routes in FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, and check with your local emergency management office for area-specific risks, evacuation routes, and shelter information. A map boundary is not a guarantee that a property is safe: Ready.gov notes that flooding can happen wherever it rains.
Set up warnings and a household plan
Sign up for community emergency alerts and learn the warning terms used where you live. FEMA recommends several ways to receive information, including the Emergency Alert System (EAS), NOAA Weather Radio, and local alerting systems. A battery-powered weather radio can provide another way to receive information during a power or internet outage, but it does not replace local notifications.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWrite down how household members will communicate, where you will go, and how you will get there. Identify more than one route if local authorities recommend it, and practice the plan. Include children, older adults, people with disabilities or medical needs, and pets; decide in advance how you will transport medications and essential supplies.
#1 Best Overall
- ESSENTIAL EVACUATION SUPPLIES: Designed to help people escape a building and get through the first hours of an emergency.
- FOOD AND WATER: Includes one 400-calorie food bar and one 4.225-ounce water pouch; both have a five-year shelf life.
- EMERGENCY GEAR: Includes a 12-hour emergency lightstick, emergency whistle, dust mask, two nitrile gloves, survival blanket, pocket tissue pack, and safety goggles.
- ONE-PERSON KIT: Provide one for every person in a facility.
- FIVE-YEAR SHELF LIFE.
Gather essentials and protect important items
Keep several days’ worth of food, water, medicines, cleaning supplies, batteries, and phone-charging devices where you can reach them. Put important documents in a waterproof container and keep password-protected digital copies as well. FEMA’s home flood-protection information sheet also recommends thinking ahead about measures suited to your home: move valuables to a higher level, clear drains and gutters, and consider elevating critical utilities. A backwater valve, battery-operated sump pump, or sandbags may help in some situations, but suitability depends on the property and its drainage; none makes floodwater safe or guarantees a home will not flood.
Consider flood insurance early
Ready.gov says standard homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding and that flood insurance typically takes up to 30 days to take effect. Confirm current coverage, eligibility, exceptions, and waiting-period terms with official National Flood Insurance Program information and your insurer well before a storm threatens.
Rank #2
- 72 HOUR EMERGENCY KIT FOR 2 PEOPLE WITH FOOD AND WATER: Includes 2 emergency food bars totaling 4800 calories and 12 sealed drinking water pouches to support hydration and energy during disasters. Designed for emergency preparedness, survival kits, earthquake kits, and evacuation planning.
- COMPLETE DISASTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH SHELTER AND WARMTH: Equipped with 2 emergency ponchos and 2 survival blankets to help protect against rain, wind, and cold conditions. Critical gear for outdoor emergencies, power outages, and shelter in place situations.
- FIRST AID KIT AND SAFETY PROTECTION SUPPLIES: Features a 33 piece first aid kit, dust masks, and nitrile gloves to support basic medical care and protection from debris and airborne particles. Essential for emergency response, injury care, and disaster safety.
- EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND SIGNALING TOOLS INCLUDED: Comes with 2 long lasting 12 hour lightsticks and a safety whistle for visibility and communication in low light or rescue situations. Ideal for blackout emergencies, nighttime evacuation, and search scenarios.
- COMPACT BACKPACK FOR GRAB AND GO EVACUATION: Lightweight emergency backpack keeps all survival supplies organized and ready for fast response. Perfect for home emergency kits, car emergency kits, office preparedness, and bug out bags.
What to do when a flash flood warning is issued
Follow official instructions promptly
Monitor alerts and local emergency instructions. If officials order an evacuation, leave promptly using the directions they give you. Do not drive around a barricade or enter a closed road to reach a route, home, or vehicle.
Stay out of floodwater
Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Avoid flooded tunnels and underground roads, and stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Water can conceal road damage, and its depth and force are difficult to judge. FEMA’s flood-preparedness guidance warns: “Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.” The National Weather Service campaign wording reproduced in FEMA and Ready.gov guidance is “Turn Around. Don’t Drown!”
Rank #3
- Emergency preparedness for one person: A portable backpack containing food, drinking water, first aid, lighting, tools and personal care supplies for an emergency plan.
- Food and water supplies: Includes one 2,400-calorie food bar, three 4.225-ounce drinking water pouches, water purification tablets and a 32-ounce water bottle.
- First aid and lighting: Includes a 33-piece first-aid kit and a hand-crank flashlight, with the other supplies packed together in the backpack.
- Tools and shelter supplies: Includes a multi-function pocket tool, 5-in-1 survival whistle, emergency poncho, survival blanket and waterproof matches.
- Personal care and portable storage: Includes a hygiene kit, bio-hazard bag, two nitrile gloves and one dust mask. Keep the backpack at home, at work or in a vehicle for convenient access.
Move to the safest available place
Follow local directions about whether to evacuate or shelter. Depending on the situation, go to the identified shelter, higher ground, or a higher floor. If you are trapped in a building, go to its highest level, but do not enter a closed attic where rising water could leave you trapped.
If your vehicle is caught in rapidly moving water, Ready.gov advises staying inside; if water rises inside, seek refuge on the roof. This is an emergency response, not a reason to drive onto a flooded road: avoid entering floodwater in a vehicle in the first place.
Rank #4
- COMPLETE 4-PERSON DISASTER SUPPLY KIT: Built to support four people for up to 72 hours with emergency food, drinking water, first aid, shelter, lighting, hygiene and survival gear packed together in one portable backpack for fast access at home or work.
- FOOD & WATER FOR 3-DAY PREPAREDNESS: Includes four 2,400-calorie emergency food bars and four 1-liter Aqua Literz cartons, plus survival blankets, ponchos and lightsticks to help support your household during outages, evacuations and major disasters.
- FIRST AID & SAFETY ESSENTIALS: Includes a 107-piece first aid kit, safety goggles, nitrile gloves, leather work gloves, biohazard bags, hygiene supplies and an emergency whistle to help support personal protection and comfort when conditions turn chaotic.
- POWER, LIGHTING & SURVIVAL TOOLS: Hand-crank emergency power station combines flashlight, AM/FM radio, siren and cell phone charging, while a multi-function tool, duct tape and emergency lightsticks add practical support for blackouts and evacuations.
- BUILT FOR HOME, WORK & EVACUATION: Grab-and-go 4-person emergency backpack is ideal for earthquake kits, hurricane supplies, wildfire evacuation, blackout preparedness, offices, vehicles and family disaster planning when critical supplies must move fast.
Return and clean up only after the water recedes
Wait for an all-clear and watch for hazards
Return home only when authorities say it is safe. Avoid unnecessary driving, and watch for unstable trees, poles, and power lines. Floodwater can leave behind electrical hazards, contaminated water, sharp debris, damaged utilities, and other dangers even after it has receded.
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- Do not touch wet electrical equipment or touch electrical equipment while standing in water. Turn off electricity only if you can do so safely.
- Use generators and other fuel-burning equipment outdoors and at least 20 feet from building openings to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Avoid floodwater, which may contain sewage, bacteria, chemicals, sharp debris, animals, or electrical hazards. Check with your local health department before treating tap water as safe to drink.
Clean up and document damage cautiously
Wear protective clothing, gloves, boots, and appropriate face coverings during cleanup. Follow public-health guidance for mold and damaged materials rather than assuming a flooded room or item is safe to handle. Photograph damage and contact your insurer for claims guidance; documentation does not guarantee that a loss is covered or reimbursed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Prepare Now for the El Nino Storm Season: El Nino pushes storms closer to the U.S. coast, leaving as little as 48 hours to prepare. Backup supplies when weather catches you off guard
- Hand-Assembled in New England: Designed by a disaster professional and assembled by a real person, not a faceless factory. Every kit checked by hand before it ships
- Emergency Lifeline When You're Stuck: For flash floods, closed roads, or power outages when you can't reach a store. Below-average hurricane forecast for El Niño doesn't mean no risk-the storm that hits may arrive faster and closer to home
- Upgraded 2026 Version: Premium lined and insulated rain poncho replaces economy version plus expanded comfort kit for extended emergencies
- Comfort-Focused Emergency Kit: Beyond basic first aid with bandages, bacitracin, lip balm, alcohol wipes, PLUS hand lotion and dental pick
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