6 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Natural Disasters and Emergencies

Natural disasters and unexpected emergencies can happen with little warning. While you can’t always know when something will happen, you can take a few simple steps now to make things easier if it does.

September is National Preparedness Month, making it a great time to take a look around your home and think about how prepared you really are. Do you know where your important documents are? Could you get out of your home quickly if you needed to? Is your emergency kit actually stocked?

1. Create an Emergency Plan

Start by talking with everyone in your household about what to do in an emergency, where you would go, and how you would get there. 

Know which exits you can use and choose a meeting spot outside your home. It’s also helpful to have a backup plan in case you can’t use your usual route, and to know how you will communicate if you become separated.

Keep a list of important phone numbers and addresses somewhere everyone can find them. If you have pets, include them in your plan too. Keep carriers, leashes, food and other pet essentials somewhere that’s easy to grab.

2. Keep Exits and Hallways Clear

The last thing you want during an emergency is for clutter to prevent you from exiting as quickly as possible.

Take a walk through your home and look at the paths you would use to get outside. Make sure hallways, stairways, and doorways are clear, and check that doors can open all the way.

This is also a good opportunity to deal with the pile of stuff that has been sitting in those areas for months. The items blocking part of an exit may not seem like a big deal on an ordinary day, but it can become a problem when you need to move quickly.

3. Protect Important Items From Water Damage

Severe weather and flooding can cause serious damage to your belongings in a short amount of time. If you live somewhere that’s prone to flooding, think about what’s currently sitting on or near the floor and what could be moved somewhere higher.

Important documents, electronics, photographs, keepsakes, and other valuables should be stored in a safe, protected place. A waterproof container can help protect documents, and keeping digital copies of things like identification, insurance information and financial records can also be useful if the originals are damaged or lost.

Storage areas should be looked at too. If a basement or garage is at risk of flooding, consider potentially moving the items you care about most off the ground. 

4. Build an Emergency Kit

Start with the basics and keep everything together somewhere you can easily get to.

Consider these items:

• Water and nonperishable food
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• First aid supplies
• Medications and essential personal items
• Phone chargers and backup power banks
• Blankets and warm clothing
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• Copies of important documents
• Supplies for pets

Check your kit every few months and replace anything that has expired or been used.

5. Declutter and Organize Your Home

Getting rid of things you no longer need can make emergency preparedness a lot easier.

When your home is less cluttered, it’s easier to find your flashlight, grab your emergency supplies and get to the door. You also have fewer things taking up valuable space in hallways, stairways, garages and other areas you may need to access quickly.

You do not have to tackle the whole house at once. Start with one small area like a closet, crowded entryway, or stack of boxes you’ve been meaning to sort through.

Donate usable items, recycle what you can and properly dispose of anything that cannot be reused.

6. Review Your Plan Regularly

Emergency preparedness is not a one-time project. Plans change as people move, kids grow up, pets join the family and seasons change.

Take a few minutes every so often to check your emergency kit, make sure important documents are still up to date and revisit your evacuation plan. While you’re at it, take another look around your home for clutter that could get in the way.

A few minutes of preparation now can save you a lot of stress later.

What If You’re Already Dealing With Storm Damage?

If severe weather has already hit your area, you may be left with fallen branches, yard debris, damaged belongings or other items that need to be cleared out. TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK® can help with the heavy lifting and cleanup while you focus on getting things back in order.

We have also seen firsthand how communities come together after a disaster. When severe storms devastated St. Louis in May 2025, our St. Louis team quickly helped get 300 boxes and 75+ rolls of tape to people on the ground who were helping those affected by the storms. It was a small way for our team to lend a hand when the community needed it.

You can’t always predict what is coming, but you can take steps to make sure your home is ready. Keep your exits clear, know where your important items are, have a plan, and make some room by getting rid of the things you no longer need. And if that cleanup leaves you with a pile of unwanted stuff or storm debris, TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK is here to help.