Emergency Alerts & Preparedness
The 5-Minute Preparedness Check
A five-minute preparedness check is a quick scan of people, power, water, communications, medication, and go-now items.
Check the live HazardNow dashboard
Use this page to understand 5-minute check. Use the live dashboard to see current alerts, infrastructure stress, weather, wildfire, travel, public-health, supply-chain, and stability indicators in one place.
Quick answer / What to check next
Quick answer
A 5-minute preparedness check is a short routine for scanning public signals before the day, a trip, or changing weather.
What this signal means
Short routines are easier to repeat than complex checklists and can catch obvious changes in alerts, power, smoke, transportation, or communications.
What to check on HazardNow
Official alerts first, then weather, smoke/AQI, outages, travel, fuel, communications, and water stress.
Verify with official source
Ready.gov
Quick read
- Useful for
- Reducing friction before a hazard escalates.
- Watch
- phone charge, key contacts, water, prescriptions, fuel/transportation, and alert settings.
- Confirm with
- Ready.gov, local emergency management, and household plans.
- Remember
- Small checks help readiness but do not replace official evacuation or shelter instructions.
What to check first
The fastest useful check covers dependencies: people, information, mobility, power, water, medication, and documents. Focus on items that would be hard to fix after conditions deteriorate.
A short checklist works best when it is repeatable and tied to local alert triggers rather than anxiety or rumor.
Visual reference
Five-minute readiness loop
Check people, alerts, power, water, and go-now items in a repeatable order.
Step 1
People
Step 2
Alerts
Step 3
Power
Step 4
Water
Step 5
Go-now
Official sources to verify
Use these links to verify current source text, update timing, and agency caveats.
Last reviewed: . This page explains general preparedness information and does not replace official instructions.
FAQ
When should I use the check?
Use it before commutes, travel, outdoor plans, severe-weather days, or whenever conditions appear to be changing.
Is this an emergency action checklist?
No. It is an awareness routine. Follow official guidance during emergencies.
Related terms
Check the live HazardNow dashboard
Use this page to understand 5-minute check. Use the live dashboard to see current alerts, infrastructure stress, weather, wildfire, travel, public-health, supply-chain, and stability indicators in one place. Focus on situational-awareness, emergency-alerts, power-outage-map in the live view.