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EnglishWhat Is Ready.gov and What Does It Offer?
Updated
Ready.gov is the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's public preparedness website. It provides hazard-specific guidance (hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, power outages, severe weather), fillable planning tools, an emergency supply list, and pointers to real-time alert channels including Wireless Emergency Alerts and the FEMA mobile app. It is a good starting point if you want official, agency-published instructions for planning before, during, and after a disaster.
Who runs it and what it is for
Ready.gov is operated by FEMA, the federal agency that coordinates disaster response and recovery in the United States. The site's stated purpose is planning ahead for disasters: helping households decide where to go, how to communicate, and what to keep on hand before an emergency happens. Content is organized by hazard and by task, so you can either look up a specific threat or start with general planning.
Hazard-specific guidance
The homepage surfaces several hazard categories, each linking to a fuller set of tips:
| Hazard | What the site points you to |
|---|---|
| Hurricanes | Know where to go if asked to evacuate quickly, and how you and your family will get there |
| Power outages | Have alternative charging methods for your phone |
| Flooding | If you approach a flooded road or walkway: turn around, don't drown |
| Severe weather | It can happen anytime — know your risks and plan ahead |
| Tornadoes | What to do before, during, and after a tornado |
Each entry links to a dedicated tips page, so the homepage acts as an index rather than a full guide. The flooding rule ("turn around, don't drown") is the kind of short, memorable instruction the site repeats because it applies in the moment, when there is no time to read a longer document.
Planning tools you can actually fill out
Beyond reading, Ready.gov offers tools meant to be completed and kept:
- Make a Plan Form — a fillable family communication plan you can complete quickly and easily online.
- Build a Kit / Emergency Supply List — a checklist for stocking an emergency kit with the right items.
- Plan for Locations — planning guidance that accounts for the different places you spend time (home, work, school, and so on).
If your goal is simply "have a written plan and a stocked kit," these two items cover most of it. The communication plan matters because during a disaster local phone networks are often congested; agreeing in advance on an out-of-area contact and a meeting point avoids depending on a call that may not connect.
Real-time alerts and the FEMA app
Preparedness information is static; alerts are not. Ready.gov directs users to two live channels:
- Wireless Emergency Alerts — official messages sent to mobile phones to deliver life-saving information quickly.
- FEMA Mobile App — described on the site as newly updated, offering preparedness strategies plus real-time weather and emergency alerts.
The practical division of labor: use the website to prepare, and use alerts and the app once something is happening.
How to use it
- Start with the Make a Plan Form and complete it with your household.
- Work through the Emergency Supply List and assemble the kit.
- Read the hazard page for the risks most likely where you live — for example, hurricane guidance if you are in a coastal area, tornado guidance if you are in Tornado Alley.
- Set up your alert channels: confirm Wireless Emergency Alerts are enabled on your phone and install the FEMA app.
One note on scope: Ready.gov is U.S.-focused federal guidance. If you live outside the United States, the planning structure is still useful as a model, but the alert systems and agency contacts will not apply to you.