Emergency preparedness is one of those areas where a relatively small investment of time and resources can make an outsized difference when it counts. The evidence suggests that prepared households fare substantially better during crises across virtually every measurable dimension.

Studies from FEMA's National Household Survey consistently find that households with emergency plans and supplies experience less financial strain, faster recovery times, and reduced need for external assistance during emergencies. Prepared households also tend to report lower psychological distress both during and after disaster events.

Community-level preparedness appears to create multiplying effects beyond individual households. Neighbourhoods with higher preparedness participation rates tend to experience faster emergency response, more effective resource sharing, and stronger social cohesion during crises. Even basic coordination among neighbours – knowing who has medical training, who has a generator, who might need help evacuating – can meaningfully improve outcomes.

Perhaps most notably, the gap between "unprepared" and "minimally prepared" is where the largest gains seem to lie. Roughly half of Americans lack a basic household emergency plan, which means that even modest preparation places you well ahead of the general population.

People pursue preparedness for different reasons. This site scores every emergency preparedness intervention across four core values. Later, you'll set your own weighting across these values, and the site will rank interventions by how well they deliver on the things you actually care about.

Self-Reliance

Building personal and family capability to handle emergencies independently. People who lean towards this value focus on stockpiling resources, learning practical skills like first aid and basic repairs, and ensuring their household can function autonomously when normal support systems fail.

Community Resilience

Developing collective preparedness through social networks, mutual aid, and coordinated community response. People who lean towards this value focus on strengthening social bonds, organising neighbourhood preparedness efforts, and building trust networks that can mobilise quickly during emergencies.

Baseline Resilience

Concentrating on probable, manageable disruptions – regional natural disasters, infrastructure failures, economic downturns, temporary supply chain interruptions. People who lean towards this value focus on realistic scenarios they are likely to face, ensuring solid preparation for events that occur regularly in their region.

Catastrophic Resilience

Preparing for rare but potentially civilisation-altering scenarios – global pandemics, economic collapse, technological failures affecting critical infrastructure, or societal breakdown. People who lean towards this value invest significant resources in scenarios that might require extended self-sufficiency or adaptation to entirely new social conditions.

The Top 0.1% band represents roughly 1 in 1,000 people. To give you a sense of what that looks like for each preparedness value:

Awareness means knowing your starting point. Answer each question below – some you might know off the top of your head, others might take a few minutes to reflect on.

You now understand why emergency preparedness matters, what different people get out of it, what's achievable, and where you currently stand. The final step is to set your personal value weightings and see which interventions are the best fit for you.

On the interventions page, adjust the sliders to reflect how much you care about self-reliance, community resilience, baseline resilience, and catastrophic resilience. The table will re-rank interventions to match your priorities.

Go to Emergency Preparedness Interventions →