Last updated: July 26, 2026. Emergency Preparedness Week dates, themes and programs change each year. Verify current details with official sources.
Use The Week As A Preparedness Reminder
Emergency Preparedness Week is a useful annual prompt to check whether your household is ready for power outages, severe weather, flooding, wildfire smoke, winter storms, evacuation alerts or other local risks. The old contest information from this post is no longer current, but the basic preparedness idea still matters.
Start With These Three Jobs
- Know your risks: Think about the events most likely to affect your home, commute, cottage, campsite or outdoor plans.
- Make a plan: Decide how your household will communicate, where you would meet and what you would do if power, roads or cell service are unavailable.
- Build a kit: Keep enough water, food, light, radio, batteries, medications, first aid, cash, pet supplies and personal documents to manage at least the first 72 hours.
Outdoor And Travel Angle
For Avoiding Chores readers, preparedness also applies to trailheads, campsites, ATV rides and road trips. Charge devices before leaving, carry offline maps, tell someone your plan and consider whether a satellite communicator is appropriate for remote areas.
Related Avoiding Chores Posts
- Preparing A Family Emergency Evacuation Kit
- Emergency Communication Kit For Home Or Outdoors
- Prepare Satellite Communicator Contacts Before A Trip
- What To Pack For A Remote ATV Ride In Atlantic Canada