Iowa 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.

IA-Specific Actions

Derecho prep is tornado prep — same safe room, same alert system, but faster onset and wider damage path

Sign up for HSEMD and county emergency alerts at homelandsecurity.iowa.gov

Know your flood plain if you live near the Cedar, Iowa, or Des Moines rivers — all three have major flood histories

Rural households: keep 2 weeks of food and fuel for winter — blizzards close Iowa interstates for 24+ hours

Iowa's $763 UI max is one of the highest in the Midwest — file immediately if you lose your job

Have a tornado shelter plan for your property — Iowa's flat terrain means tornadoes travel long distances

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 IA guide is yours.

Local self-reliance starts with knowing your place.

IA State Homepage

Return to the full Iowa guide overview.

First 72 Hours

The universal foundation before any local personalization.

What to do. In what order.

Home readiness.

72-Hour Kit Basics

IA-Specific Actions

IA hazard checklists.

Severe thunderstorms Readiness

Tornadoes Readiness

Flooding Readiness

Winter ice & snow storms 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 IA guide is yours.

IA State Homepage

First 72 Hours

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