Outpost Preparedness
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273 declarations since 2015 · 47 states

Severe storms

The storm is not the emergency. The outage is.

What kills people afterwards is the generator. Portable generators cause roughly 100 unintentional carbon monoxide deaths a year in the United States, and they cluster in the days after a storm when the power is out. Carbon monoxide is odourless, and by the time you are confused enough to notice, you are too confused to act. Outside, far from the house, never in a garage with the door open.

Source: CPSC
Do this tonight

Find out whether your generator has ever been started. If the answer is no, start it — an untested generator is a heavy paperweight with a full tank of fuel.

Where severe storms actually get declared

Federal major disaster declarations, FY2015–present.

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The 72-Hour Checklist

One page, and it works for every hazard — the first ninety minutes look the same in all of them.

Your state
What you actually face

Every declaration where you live, ranked, with the failure mode behind each.

FloodingHurricanesWildfireWinter stormsSnowstormsIce storms