Disaster Preparedness for Beginners

It was three days after Hurricane Katrina that I finally was able to evacuate with my family out of New Orleans, but those three days gave me a master class in how unprepared I was for the worst.

We had food, but it required cooking, and the gas was out. We had flashlights, but the batteries were dead. We had a plan, but it relied on cell towers that had snapped like twigs in the wind.

I’ve lived in multiple regions of the US since then, each with its unique hazards. Now in the Pacific Northwest, in Northern California, I'm preparing my family for "The Big One", a once-in-a-hundred-years earthquake that could fundamentally put daily life on hold for weeks.

That experience taught me one thing: Panic is expensive. Preparation is cheap.

Why I Built This Calculator

Most preparedness sites try to sell you a $200 "tactical" backpack filled with cheap junk you'll never use. They profit from your fear.

I built DisasterCalculator to do the opposite. It uses official data from FEMA and the Red Cross to give you the exact math of what you need. No more guessing. No more over-buying. Just the raw numbers for water, calories, and essential gear.

Preparing for "The Big One"

Whether it's a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, a Category 5 hurricane, or a grid-down winter storm, the rules of survival are surprisingly similar.

You don't need to prepare for everything. You just need to prepare for the common consequences of everything: no power, no water, and no way to buy food.

The Rule of Threes

Survival experts often cite the "Rule of Threes" to prioritize needs. You can survive:

3 Minutes without air (or in icy water).

3 Hours without shelter in harsh conditions.

3 Days without water.

3 Weeks without food.

This is why we focus on Water and Shelter/Warmth first. Food is important for morale and energy, but water is non-negotiable.

Bug Out vs. Bug In

Bugging In (Sheltering in Place)

Most Likely Scenario. Staying in your home during a power outage, pandemic, or storm.

Focus: Water storage, non-perishable food, hygiene.
Goal: Comfort and safety until services are restored.

Bugging Out (Evacuation)

Worst Case Scenario. Leaving immediately due to fire, flood, or structural damage.

Focus: Mobility, "Go-Bag", important documents.
Goal: Reaching a safe location quickly.

The Top 3 Rules of a Survival Kit

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1. Water is Life

You can survive 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. Prioritize storage and filtration above all else.

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2. Two is One

"Two is one, and one is none." Always have a backup. A backup flashlight. A backup way to start a fire. A backup plan.

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3. Skills > Gear

The best gear in the world is useless if you don't know how to use it. Practice with your equipment before the disaster.

The Rational Guide to
Disaster Preparedness