Only 5% of U.S. homes have a complete emergency kit, survey finds

A SafeHome survey of 1,200 U.S. adults found that 20% of homes have none of the recommended emergency supplies, while 52% cite cost as a barrier. The results suggest preparedness gaps are driven less by apathy than by household budgets, knowledge gaps, and weak planning.

Why it matters: - Emergency preparedness is uneven across U.S. households, leaving many families exposed when disasters, outages or extreme weather hit. - The survey shows the gap is not just about whether people own supplies, but whether they have a complete kit by Red Cross and Ready.gov standards. - Cost is the biggest barrier, which makes preparedness a household-finance issue as much as a safety issue.

What happened: - SafeHome.org surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults online on July 21, 2025. - Only 5% of homes reported having a fully stocked emergency kit. - 20% of homes had none of the recommended emergency supplies. - 52% of respondents named cost as a key reason they are not fully prepared.

The details: - The survey used the basic supply lists published by the American Red Cross and Ready.gov to define a complete kit. - 59% said they have a three-day supply of pet food. - 58% said they have flashlights. - 58% said they have a three-day supply of personal medications. - 51% said they have first-aid kits. - 37% said they have adequate drinking water. - 30% said they have sufficient emergency cash. - 22% said they have waterproof matches. - 19% said they have a backup power source. - Drinking water is the top Red Cross supply item at one gallon per person per day, but it trails flashlights by 21 percentage points. - The report says larger items such as gas generators and solar power banks remain out of reach for many families. - More than 20% said they were underprepared because they did not know what to buy. - Other barriers included physical limitations, lack of time, indifference and doubts that preparation would help. - Lower-income households, especially those headed by young adults and seniors, were most likely to cite cost. - Rising food prices added to that pressure. - Fewer than 40% of households addressed their insurance during the past year. - Barely a quarter of adults reviewed their disaster coverage. - 10% said they increased disaster coverage. - Some households cut coverage or let policies lapse, citing higher food prices, property taxes, stagnant wages and rising premiums. - 44% said they are more concerned about emergencies and natural disasters than 12 months ago. - 7% said they are less concerned. - Nearly two-thirds expect extreme heat in the coming year. - About as many expect severe storms. - More than half expect power outages. - 47% added to their emergency supplies in the past year. - Only one in five practiced a household contingency plan. - Only one in 10 coordinated with neighbors. - 26% said they feel very or extremely confident they would know what to do in a major disaster. - Half of adults still get emergency guidance from traditional news outlets. - 41% turn to social media for preparedness tips. - 40% rely on FEMA or Ready.gov for preparedness tips. - The survey included adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. - Quotas for sex, age group, state and region kept the sample aligned with U.S. Census American Community Survey benchmarks. - The sample included 22% of households earning less than $35,000 a year and 19% earning $125,000 or more. - The overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for estimates near 50%.

Between the lines: - The findings suggest preparedness is lagging not because Americans are unaware of risk, but because many households face competing financial pressures and uncertainty about where to start. - Concern is outpacing action. More people are worried about disasters, but relatively few have practiced plans or coordinated with neighbors. - The survey also shows a split between information sources, with social media nearly matching FEMA and Ready.gov as a preparedness channel. - Quiet Protector framed the cost problem as a reason families delay finishing kits, calling the checklist a project that often never gets completed.

What's next: - The report points to a need for cheaper, simpler starter kits and clearer guidance on the first items families should buy. - Households are likely to keep adding supplies unevenly unless financial barriers and knowledge gaps are addressed directly. - As extreme heat, storms and outages remain top expectations for the next year, demand for practical preparedness guidance is likely to rise.

The bottom line: - Most Americans have some emergency supplies, but very few have a complete kit, and cost remains the main reason the gap persists.