Build a 15-minute go-bag before the weather app gets dramatic

This week: one carryable evacuation bag, built in layers. Think less "secret bunker," more "I can leave the house without packing like a raccoon in a flashlight aisle."

A go-bag is not your entire home emergency stockpile. It is the easy-to-grab version: one duffel or backpack, stored where the household can find it, for the moment local officials say it is time to leave. FEMA recommends keeping disaster supplies in easy-to-carry containers and preparing supplies for home, work, and car. 1

Start with what you will use first: a water bottle, ready-to-eat food, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, radio, and phone power bank. FEMA's basic kit list includes water, several days of non-perishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, first aid kit, extra batteries, local maps, and phone chargers with backup power. 1

Tiny reality check: your bag should be carryable. Keep the bigger water supply at home or in the car. CDC recommends at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days, with a 2-week supply if possible. 2

This is the part most generic checklists miss. Add at least a few days of prescription medicines, glasses or contacts, hygiene basics, cash, and any pet, baby, disability, dietary, or medical supplies your household actually needs. Ready.gov specifically calls out prescriptions, medical needs, dietary needs, pets or service animals, children, disabilities, and access needs when planning and customizing supplies. 3

If your water backup includes treatment supplies, CDC says boiling is the best way to kill germs; clear water should reach a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet. If using unscented household bleach at 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite, CDC lists 8 drops per gallon and a 30-minute wait. 4

A packed bag works better when it has somewhere to go. Put copies of ID, insurance, and bank records in a waterproof portable container or save them electronically. Then write down your meeting place, out-of-area contact, evacuation routes, local maps, alert sources, and who is responsible for grabbing the bag. FEMA evacuation guidance says to know your destination, local routes, reliable information sources, alerts, and who in the household is responsible for the go-bag. 5

Mini drill for this week: set a 15-minute timer, pack the first draft, then walk it around the block. If it is annoying after five minutes, it is too heavy. That is not failure; that is useful data with shoes on.