Emergency Preparedness Score
Score your family's disaster readiness across 7 categories. Check what you have, skip what you don't, get a 0-100 score plus a ranked gap list in 2 minutes.
How the Emergency Preparedness Score Works
This tool uses a weighted scoring model based on FEMA's Ready.gov baseline and Red Cross 72-hour guidance. Each category contains critical items (4 points each), important items (2 points), and bonus items (1 point). Your score is the percentage of weighted points you have, scaled to 100. A household with all critical and important items but no bonus gear still scores above 85 — bonus items are refinements, not gatekeepers.
The 7 Preparedness Categories
Real-world emergencies test different systems, so readiness must cover all of them. The tool breaks prep into Water, Food, Shelter & Warmth, First Aid & Health, Communication & Power, Documents & Cash, and Evacuation. Skipping a category — no stored water, no backup radio — creates a single point of failure. The score penalizes zero-score categories extra so you see them as the top priority.
Why Water Is Weighted Highest
The Rule of Threes ranks water second only to shelter and air. FEMA recommends one gallon of stored water per person per day, minimum three days' supply. Most families fail this one — not because it's expensive ($8 for 3 gallons at Walmart) but because they forget. If you check nothing else on this quiz, start here.
How to Use Your Gap List
After scoring, you get a ranked list of missing items. Work top-down: address every critical gap before adding any bonus gear. A $20 crank radio beats a $200 solar generator if you don't have either — the radio keeps you informed, and information during an emergency is worth more than watts.
Why This Tool Uses Your Browser Only
Your prep list is sensitive: it reveals what you own, what you lack, and whether you have cash on hand. This tool runs entirely in your browser, saves nothing to any server, and uses no analytics on your answers. Close the tab and your data stays only on this device.