Emergency Kit Checklist by City

Every emergency kit should start with water, food, a flashlight, a radio, first aid, medications, documents, and phone power. The right emergency kit checklist then changes by local hazard: hurricanes need waterproofing, earthquakes need shutoff tools, and wildfire cities need go-bags and smoke protection.

What should be in an emergency kit?

Start with the universal supplies below, then add city-specific items for your local hazards.

Item How much Why
Water 1 gallon per person per day. 3-day supply to evacuate, 2-week supply at home (Red Cross). Ready.gov says "several days" without fixing a number. Ready.gov Red Cross Drinking and sanitation
Food Non-perishable, no-cook. 3-day supply to evacuate, 2-week at home (Red Cross); "at least a several-day supply" (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Red Cross Utilities and stores go down together
Prescription medications 7-day supply (Red Cross). Red Cross Pharmacies close and refills stall
Radio Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, plus a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Alerts when cell service and power are out
Flashlight + extra batteries Both sources list a flashlight and extra batteries; neither specifies a count. Ready.gov Red Cross Open flame is a fire risk after a gas leak
First aid kit Both sources list a first aid kit; neither specifies a count. Red Cross adds medical items alongside it. Ready.gov Red Cross Hospitals are the first thing to saturate
Warmth A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Heat fails with the grid
Documents Copies in a waterproof, portable container or saved electronically (Ready.gov). Red Cross lists: medication list, proof of address, deed/lease, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies. Ready.gov Red Cross Claims and aid both require proof
Phone power Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Your phone is your radio, map and ID
Local maps Paper maps of your area — Ready.gov lists "Local maps" and Red Cross lists "Map(s) of the area"; neither specifies a count. Ready.gov Red Cross Evacuation routes when the phone holding your map is dead
Sanitation Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Water-borne illness follows outages
Shelter-in-place Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Sealing a room against contaminated air
Utility shutoff Wrench or pliers (Ready.gov). Ready.gov Gas leaks after earthquakes
Whistle Ready.gov lists a whistle "to signal for help"; it does not specify a count. Ready.gov Carries further than a voice
Mask Dust mask to help filter contaminated air (Ready.gov); N95 or surgical masks (Red Cross, hazard-dependent). Ready.gov Red Cross Wildfire smoke and post-collapse dust
Cash Both sources list cash; neither specifies an amount. Ready.gov Red Cross Card readers need power
Manual can opener Ready.gov lists a "manual can opener (for food)"; it does not specify a count. Ready.gov Canned food is useless without it

Sources: Ready.gov — Build A Kit · American Red Cross — Survival Kit Supplies. Quantities verified 2026-07-18.

The baseline is the same everywhere; what changes by city is what you add to it. Use the city grid below to tune the kit to local hazards.

How does an emergency kit change by city?

Choose the city closest to your home, then use the local checklist for hazard add-ons.

  • Miami Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Flooding, Storm Surge

    Prepare for hurricane, flooding, storm surge with a checklist tuned to Miami, Florida.

  • Los Angeles Emergency Kit

    Earthquake, Wildfire, Extreme Heat

    Prepare for earthquake, wildfire, extreme heat with a checklist tuned to Los Angeles, California.

  • Houston Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Flooding, Extreme Heat

    Prepare for hurricane, flooding, extreme heat with a checklist tuned to Houston, Texas.

  • Seattle Emergency Kit

    Earthquake, Volcanic Activity, Flooding

    Prepare for earthquake, volcanic activity, flooding with a checklist tuned to Seattle, Washington.

  • New York City Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Flooding, Winter Storm

    Prepare for hurricane, flooding, winter storm with a checklist tuned to New York City, New York.

  • San Francisco Emergency Kit

    Earthquake, Wildfire Smoke, Flooding

    Prepare for earthquake, wildfire smoke, flooding with a checklist tuned to San Francisco, California.

  • New Orleans Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Flooding, Storm Surge

    Prepare for hurricane, flooding, storm surge with a checklist tuned to New Orleans, Louisiana.

  • Tampa Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Storm Surge, Flooding

    Prepare for hurricane, storm surge, flooding with a checklist tuned to Tampa, Florida.

  • Atlanta Emergency Kit

    Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, Winter Storm

    Prepare for tornado, severe thunderstorm, winter storm with a checklist tuned to Atlanta, Georgia.

  • Phoenix Emergency Kit

    Extreme Heat, Dust Storm, Flash Flooding

    Prepare for extreme heat, dust storm, flash flooding with a checklist tuned to Phoenix, Arizona.

  • Denver Emergency Kit

    Wildfire, Hail, Blizzard

    Prepare for wildfire, hail, blizzard with a checklist tuned to Denver, Colorado.

  • Oklahoma City Emergency Kit

    Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, Ice Storm

    Prepare for tornado, severe thunderstorm, ice storm with a checklist tuned to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

  • Dallas Emergency Kit

    Tornado, Hail, Flash Flooding

    Prepare for tornado, hail, flash flooding with a checklist tuned to Dallas, Texas.

  • Boston Emergency Kit

    Nor'easter, Blizzard, Coastal Flooding

    Prepare for nor'easter, blizzard, coastal flooding with a checklist tuned to Boston, Massachusetts.

  • Chicago Emergency Kit

    Extreme Cold, Blizzard, Extreme Heat

    Prepare for extreme cold, blizzard, extreme heat with a checklist tuned to Chicago, Illinois.

  • Sacramento Emergency Kit

    Flooding, Wildfire Smoke, Extreme Heat

    Prepare for flooding, wildfire smoke, extreme heat with a checklist tuned to Sacramento, California.

  • St. Louis Emergency Kit

    Tornado, Flooding, Earthquake

    Prepare for tornado, flooding, earthquake with a checklist tuned to St. Louis, Missouri.

  • Las Vegas Emergency Kit

    Extreme Heat, Flash Flooding, Earthquake

    Prepare for extreme heat, flash flooding, earthquake with a checklist tuned to Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Portland Emergency Kit

    Earthquake, Wildfire Smoke, Extreme Heat

    Prepare for earthquake, wildfire smoke, extreme heat with a checklist tuned to Portland, Oregon.

  • San Diego Emergency Kit

    Wildfire, Earthquake, Flash Flooding

    Prepare for wildfire, earthquake, flash flooding with a checklist tuned to San Diego, California.

  • Nashville Emergency Kit

    Tornado, Flooding, Severe Thunderstorm

    Prepare for tornado, flooding, severe thunderstorm with a checklist tuned to Nashville, Tennessee.

  • Charleston Emergency Kit

    Hurricane, Flooding, Earthquake

    Prepare for hurricane, flooding, earthquake with a checklist tuned to Charleston, South Carolina.

  • Charlotte Emergency Kit

    Ice Storms, Hurricane Remnants, Flash Flooding

    Prepare for ice storms, hurricane remnants, flash flooding with a checklist tuned to Charlotte, North Carolina.

  • Minneapolis Emergency Kit

    Extreme Cold, Blizzard, Tornado

    Prepare for extreme cold, blizzard, tornado with a checklist tuned to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  • Buffalo Emergency Kit

    Lake-Effect Snow, Blizzard, Extreme Cold

    Prepare for lake-effect snow, blizzard, extreme cold with a checklist tuned to Buffalo, New York.

  • Salt Lake City Emergency Kit

    Earthquake, Wildfire, Winter Storm

    Prepare for earthquake, wildfire, winter storm with a checklist tuned to Salt Lake City, Utah.

  • Detroit Emergency Kit

    Flooding, Winter Storm, Extreme Cold

    Prepare for flooding, winter storm, extreme cold with a checklist tuned to Detroit, Michigan.

General emergency kit guides

Use these broad checklists for the items most households need, then choose your city guide for the risks that change what belongs in the bag.

Frequently asked questions

What should be in an emergency kit?
Water, food, a radio, a flashlight, a first aid kit, medications, sanitation supplies, copies of your documents, cash, and a way to charge your phone. Ready.gov's basic disaster supplies kit is built from those categories; the table above gives the quantity each source specifies. What you add on top depends on the hazards where you live.
How much water do I need per person?
One gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation — Ready.gov and the Red Cross agree on this figure. The Red Cross specifies a 3-day supply if you may evacuate and a 2-week supply at home. For a family of four that is 12 gallons to evacuate and 56 gallons at home.
How long should an emergency kit last?
It depends on whether you leave or stay. The Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply at home; Ready.gov's kit page says "several days" without fixing a number. The gap is deliberate: an evacuation kit has to be carried, while a shelter-in-place kit has to outlast a utility outage.
What is the difference between a go-bag and a home emergency kit?
A go-bag is the 3-day portable version you can carry out the door; a home kit is the 2-week supply you keep put (Red Cross). Most households need both, and they share the same baseline items — the go-bag is just limited to what you can carry.
Is an emergency kit different in every city?
The baseline is the same everywhere: water, food, light, radio, first aid, medications, documents, power. What changes is what you add. Hurricane cities need waterproofing and an evacuation plan, earthquake cities need a utility-shutoff wrench and secured water storage, wildfire cities need N95 masks and a packed go-bag.

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