I would’ve totally forgotten that September was National Preparedness Month, except that my AI overlords like to remind me of such things, especially in my YouTube feed. My first reaction is usually something like, “didn’t we just do that?” But that’s probably because I’m getting old and the years are starting to fly by. It’s not because I think preparedness shouldn’t have a month, but because at my house, every month is preparedness month. 🙂
I don’t wait for FEMA to tell me to check my water storage or rotate my food supply. I just do it, because that’s how I live. But I get why the month exists, and I don’t think it’s pointless. So let’s talk about what it actually is, what it’s good for, and why an awareness campaign only gets you so far.
FEMA started National Preparedness Month back in 2004, in the years right after 9/11, when the government realized most Americans had no real plan for handling a serious disaster. Since then, every September gets a theme. This year’s is “Americans Stand Ready,” which leans on the idea that being prepared is a kind of civic duty. Maybe they chose that theme because it’s been 25 years since 9/11, though I’m only guessing. The idea is that you protect your own family, and by doing that, you take some pressure off first responders and your local community when something goes wrong. And I wholeheartedly agree; it makes sense to care for your own first.
Say what you will about the government, but the core steps they’ve long advocated for are solid: make a plan, build a kit, stay informed, get involved. That’s nothing groundbreaking, and is precisely the kind of recommendations people like me have been saying for years. This year it seems they’ve focused on the “get involved” in the community portion more than normal.
Awareness vs. Action
Sadly, even a full month of awareness doesn’t move the needle much. FEMA’s own household survey found that only about 50 to 60 percent of American households have taken even a few basic preparedness steps. Most don’t have a stocked pantry, a bug-out bag, an emergency contact list, or really anything that would help them survive a prolonged disaster. I’m afraid even most well-meaning folks don’t have enough prescription meds to get them through more than a week or two. That is not living a prepared lifestyle!
Anyway, NOAA counted 28 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023 alone, adding up to more than $92 billion in damage. Obviously, the disasters keep coming, but the preparedness needle barely budges above their base levels no matter what the government says. If a national campaign that’s been running for over twenty years still can’t get barely half of households past the basics, the campaign itself isn’t the problem … the reason is because people just don’t act until something forces them to.
I’ve watched this pattern for years in my own life. A storm knocks out power for two days, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling for generators and water bottles. Two months later, it’s back to business as usual. National Preparedness Month tries to get ahead of that cycle, but a themed month competes with rising grocery prices, work/home responsibilities, and a hundred other things that feel more interesting right now, like the start of football season. We, the people, are easily distracted.
What This Month Is Actually Good For
Clearly, this month is not aimed at people like you or me. It’s aimed at the family who’s never thought about any of this, the ones who’d be genuinely lost after a few days without power or a run on the grocery store. For them, a month with a name and a hashtag might be the nudge that gets a flashlight and a case of water into the closet, which is better than nothing, but not much beyond that.
If you’re already prepared, September shouldn’t mean much, unless you live in hurricane-prone areas. (I’m talking about you in Florida, Mom!) If you’re not, it’s as good a starting point as any. I say pick just one thing and do it. You could, for instance, write down emergency contacts. Or, fill a few water jugs or even soda bottles, then put them in the freezer. Maybe grab a case of extra canned food you’d actually eat and stash it in the pantry. How about checking expiration dates on pills in your cabinet? (Now, I’m looking at you, my wife!) None of that requires much effort at all or a lot of money. It just requires doing something useful instead of the alternative.
But I’d push back on the idea that “standing ready” is some big patriotic act. I believe most of us would, when the time comes, help our neighbors – even those we’ve never met – because that’s what good human beings do. And we, Americans, have exhibited this trait time and again.
My Actual Take
To be clear, I like that this month exists, even if it doesn’t apply much to how I already live aside from writing about it. Still, any excuse that gets more folks to take one or two real steps toward preparedness is worth having, so I’ll take it, even if it’s imperfect and even if most people forget about it by October.
What I don’t buy is treating September like a finish line because preparedness isn’t seasonal. Disasters don’t check a calendar before they show up, and neither should your planning. If anything, this month should function as a yearly check-in opportunity. You could ask:
- Did anything in your bug out bags or vehicle kits expire, especially if they’ve been subject to extreme heat or freezing temperatures?
- When is the last time you checked on items that don’t get regular attention, like a battery stockpile or long-term food and water storage? It’s easy to ignore these things!
- Has your family situation or medical needs changed, especially as you age?
- Are the kids’ shoe sizes two sizes too big, so what you had stored for them simply won’t fit? Same goes for clothing, especially winter coats, gloves, etc.
- Have you thought about the coming winter needs? And the summer that will follow? Things like getting the fireplace ready, firewood, kindling, fire-starters, etc.
- Are you postponing any maintenance on your vehicles? Given that inflation persists, now might be a good time to get it done.
- Did your home or job move somewhere with different risks than your last place?
Use this month as a prompt to review your situation, then go back to treating readiness as a habit instead of an event.
I realize that sounds a little preachy for someone who just said the month doesn’t much apply to me. Fair enough. After all, I’ve let many preparedness-related activities go over the years, started prepping to-do lists that are older than I’d like to admit, and don’t regularly check-in on my preps like clockwork. But the reality is I’ve only gotten here after many years of building a system that mostly runs in my head now. (Of course, if I ever go senile, then I guess none of it will matter.)
Regardless, everyone starts somewhere, and if a government awareness campaign is what gets someone off the couch and into their pantry with a list, I’ll take it.
How about you? Has a National Preparedness Month ever prompted you to do anything different, or does it come and go without much notice?
