Delaware Preparedness Checklists — Home, Hazards, Garden & Safety Net

Category 1 of 5

Home readiness.

72-Hour Kit Basics

Water — 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days minimumFamily of 4 = 12 gallons. Store in food-grade containers.

72-hour food supply — shelf-stable, no cooking requiredCanned goods, bars, jerky. Rotate every 6–12 months.

Flashlights + extra batteriesOne per household member. Test monthly.

Battery or hand-crank NOAA weather radioReliable when cell service and power fail together.

First aid kit — stocked and unexpiredConsider Red Cross certification.

7-day prescription medication supplyRequest early refill before storms.

Cash in small bills — $100–$200Card readers fail during extended outages.

Portable battery pack for phonesKeep at 80%+ charge continuously.

DE-Specific Actions

Know your hurricane surge zone — Delaware Bay amplifies surge; Lewes and coastal Sussex County flood fast

Sign up for DE Alert and your county emergency alerts at dema.delaware.gov

Coastal communities: Sandy caused $76M in damage without a direct hit — a direct major hurricane would be catastrophic

Sussex County residents: tidal flooding is increasing — check your floor elevation against current flood maps

Keep flood insurance — most Delaware flood damage is not covered by standard homeowners policies

Wilmington Christina/Brandywine river residents: have an elevated storage plan — both rivers flood regularly

Category 3 of 5

Community readiness.

Know Your Neighbors

Introduce yourself to the four households nearest yoursName + house number + phone number. That's all it takes.

Identify neighbors who may need checking onElderly alone, households with young children, anyone on medical equipment.

Know who has useful resources (chainsaw, generator, medical training)Informal mutual aid. A mental inventory doubles your capability.

Agree on a neighborhood meeting pointA driveway or landmark. 30 seconds to agree on before you need it.

Engage & Train

Find and consider enrolling in your county's CERT programFree training from county emergency management offices.

Get CPR/first aid certified through the Red CrossSearch classes at redcross.org/take-a-class.

Identify one volunteer role in your communityVolunteer fire, food bank, Habitat, Red Cross — one connection.

Attend one community event this seasonFind local events →

All seven tabs — complete

The DE guide is yours.

Local self-reliance starts with knowing your place.

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Return to the full Delaware guide overview.

First 72 Hours

The universal foundation before any local personalization.

What to do. In what order.

Home readiness.

72-Hour Kit Basics

DE-Specific Actions

DE hazard checklists.

Hurricanes & tropical storms Readiness

Flooding Readiness

Winter ice & snow storms Readiness

Heat waves Readiness

Community readiness.

Know Your Neighbors

Engage & Train

Safety net actions.

Job Loss — First 72 Hours

Annual Insurance Audit

Gardening by season.

Spring Prep

Fall & Year-Round

The DE guide is yours.

DE State Homepage

First 72 Hours

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