These are not disaster-movie scenarios. They are the things that already happen to UK households every year, usually for a day or two, occasionally for longer. The government's three-day guidance exists because of them. Pick the one that worries you, or the one the forecast is pointing at.
Power cut
Call 105, fridge shut, torch not candle, one room warm. The routine for the most common emergency there is.
Read the guide02Scenario 02 · The seasonal oneStorm
What the warning colours mean, what to secure and charge before it hits, and what to check once it has passed.
Read the guide03Scenario 03 · The expensive oneFlood
Check your risk, sign up for free warnings, the three warning levels, protecting the house, and never walking or driving through floodwater.
Read the guide04Scenario 04 · The modern oneCyber attack and online outage
Cash, paper copies, a second bank card, and the scam-proofing that matters when systems fail.
Read the guide05Scenario 05 · The one nobody plans forWater supply interruption
Who to call, bottled water stations, boil notices, flushing without mains water, and the register that gets water delivered.
Read the guide06Scenario 06 · The quiet killerHeatwave
Heat-health alerts, cooling a house without air con, heatstroke signs, and why the vulnerable need a knock on the door.
Read the guide07Scenario 07 · The winter oneCold snap and snow
Cold-health alerts, pipes and boilers, heating failures, snow travel and who needs a knock on the door.
Read the guide08Scenario 08 · The one in the newsFood supply disruption
What shortages really look like, why panic buying makes them worse, and how the kit lets you shop normally.
Read the guide09Scenario 09 · The new oneWildfire
Reducing risk around the home, smoke, and the evacuation routine for homes near moor, heath, forest or grass.
Read the guideWhich parts of the kit matter most?
Everything in the three-day kit helps in every scenario, but some items carry more weight in some situations. Use this to prioritise if you are building the kit gradually.
| Scenario | Most important | Also matters |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut | Torch, radio, warmth, no-cook food | Power bank, cash, fridge discipline |
| Storm | Everything for a power cut, plus charged devices before it hits | Car kit, documents, insurer's number |
| Flood | Grab bag, documents, flood warnings signed up | Knowing the shut-offs, insurance details |
| Cyber attack or online outage | Cash, paper copies, a second bank card | Radio, written phone numbers |
| Water supply interruption | Bottled water, containers, sanitiser | Priority Services Register |
| Heatwave | Water, checking on vulnerable people | Power cut items (demand surges) |
| Cold snap and snow | Warmth, medication buffer, car kit | Knowing the stopcock, grit |
| Food supply disruption | Three days of food already in the cupboard | Not panic buying |
| Wildfire | Grab bag, car fuelled, documents | Masks, knowing your evacuation route |
The numbers that apply to all of them
Print them with the household plan and keep a copy in the kit. Phones go flat; paper does not.