--- title: "Emergency Preparedness Guides and Checklists | BePrepared" url: "https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides" description: "Free emergency preparedness guides and printable checklists for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, winter storms, extreme heat, earthquakes and outages." source: "BePrepared Solutions" --- # Emergency preparedness guides One calm, practical guide for each emergency we cover: what to pack, what to do before, during and after, and a checklist you can print. Start with what matters this month, or with the risk that keeps you up at night. In season now: [Hurricane](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/hurricane-preparedness) · [Winter Storm](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/emergency-supplies-for-winter-storm) ## When each one matters most Now: November The months each hazard matters most in the United States, from official sources. It is now November. | Guide | When it matters most | | --- | --- | | [Hurricane](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/hurricane-preparedness) | June 1 to November 30 (Atlantic season) | | [Winter Storm](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/emergency-supplies-for-winter-storm) | Mid-October to mid-April | | [Extreme Heat](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/extreme-heat-safety) | May to September | | [Power Outage](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/power-outage-checklist) | Any month | | [Tornado](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/family-emergency-plan-for-tornado) | Any month; the peak depends on where you live | | [Earthquake](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/earthquake-preparedness) | Any month; there is no earthquake season | | [Wildfire](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/wildfire-evacuation-checklist) | Any month; the peak depends on where you live | | [Flood](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/flood-preparedness-checklist) | Any month | PeakAny monthSources: [NOAA National Hurricane Center](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), [National Weather Service (winter)](https://www.weather.gov/bgm/winterterms), [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7315a1.htm), [NOAA Storm Prediction Center](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/), [National Park Service](https://home.nps.gov/articles/wildland-fire-behavior.htm), [National Weather Service (floods)](https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood), [USGS](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/there-earthquake-weather), [FEMA](https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/ready.gov_power-outage_hazard-info-sheet.pdf) See when each one matters most ## When each one matters most Now: November The months each hazard matters most in the United States, from official sources. It is now November. | Guide | When it matters most | | --- | --- | | [Hurricane](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/hurricane-preparedness) | June 1 to November 30 (Atlantic season) | | [Winter Storm](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/emergency-supplies-for-winter-storm) | Mid-October to mid-April | | [Extreme Heat](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/extreme-heat-safety) | May to September | | [Power Outage](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/power-outage-checklist) | Any month | | [Tornado](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/family-emergency-plan-for-tornado) | Any month; the peak depends on where you live | | [Earthquake](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/earthquake-preparedness) | Any month; there is no earthquake season | | [Wildfire](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/wildfire-evacuation-checklist) | Any month; the peak depends on where you live | | [Flood](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/flood-preparedness-checklist) | Any month | PeakAny monthSources: [NOAA National Hurricane Center](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), [National Weather Service (winter)](https://www.weather.gov/bgm/winterterms), [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7315a1.htm), [NOAA Storm Prediction Center](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/), [National Park Service](https://home.nps.gov/articles/wildland-fire-behavior.htm), [National Weather Service (floods)](https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood), [USGS](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/there-earthquake-weather), [FEMA](https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/ready.gov_power-outage_hazard-info-sheet.pdf) ## Guides for each hazard - In season now ### [Hurricane Preparedness Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/hurricane-preparedness) Know your evacuation zone, pack a 72-hour kit, and get ready before the cone points at you. Includes a printable checklist. Inside: Survival pack checklist · 7-day timeline · Evacuate or stay Matters most: June 1 to November 30 (Atlantic season) Updated Updated September 28, 2026 - In season now ### [Emergency Supplies for a Winter Storm](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/emergency-supplies-for-winter-storm) Warmth, water, food and light for when the roads close and the power fails, plus a car kit and safe ways to stay warm. Inside: Kit checklist · Safe heat · Car kit Matters most: Mid-October to mid-April Updated Updated September 22, 2026 - ### [Power Outage Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/power-outage-checklist) The core supplies for when the lights go out, plus add-ons for your heat, water, medicines, babies and pets. Printable. Inside: Printable checklist · Add-ons for your home · Hour by hour Matters most: Any month Updated Updated November 10, 2026 - ### [Family Emergency Plan for Tornado](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/family-emergency-plan-for-tornado) Pick your safe room, decide who grabs what, and build a kit sized for the minutes between the warning and the storm. Inside: Kit checklist · Where to shelter · Watch vs warning Matters most: Any month; the peak depends on where you live Updated Updated September 28, 2026 - ### [Earthquake Preparedness Kit and Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/earthquake-preparedness) A seven-day kit list, the home safety fixes that matter most, and what to do in the seconds the ground is shaking. Inside: Home safety checklist · 7-day kit · When it shakes Matters most: Any month; there is no earthquake season Updated Updated September 22, 2026 - ### [Wildfire Evacuation Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/wildfire-evacuation-checklist) What to grab in 60 seconds, what to load in five minutes, how to clear defensible space, and what each evacuation level means. Inside: Defensible space · Go bag and evacuation kits · Smoke Matters most: Any month; the peak depends on where you live Updated Updated September 28, 2026 - ### [Flood Preparedness Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/flood-preparedness-checklist) Check your flood zone, waterproof your documents, pack a go bag, and know what to do from the watch to the cleanup. Inside: Kit checklist · Watch vs warning · After the flood Matters most: Any month Updated Updated September 28, 2026 - ### [Extreme Heat Safety Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/extreme-heat-safety) Stay cool without AC, tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke, and check on the people most at risk when a heat wave sets in. Inside: Heat wave kit · Heat illness signs · Who is most at risk Matters most: May to September Updated Updated September 28, 2026 ## For any emergency Two lists that hold whatever is coming: a bag you can grab if you have to leave, and the steps for staying put when officials say to stay inside. ### [Go Bag Checklist](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/go-bag-checklist) What to pack for 72 hours away from home: water, food, medicine, documents and tools, in one printable list. Inside: 72-hour checklist · How to pack it · Six-month check Matters most: Any time Updated Updated September 28, 2026 ### [Shelter in Place](https://bepreparedsolutions.co/guides/shelter-in-place) What a shelter-in-place order asks of your household, how it differs from leaving, and what to do in the first few minutes. Inside: Shelter or leave · First few minutes · Set up at home Matters most: Any time Updated Updated October 23, 2026 --- _Guidance here is general and cannot account for your circumstances. In an active emergency, official instructions from local authorities take precedence over anything published by BePrepared Solutions._