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The power goes out. The sky grows dark. You might be home alone, or trying to reassure a frightened child or an unsettled pet. You reach for your phone, but its battery is low. Where is your medication? What would you take if you had to leave? Decisions that seemed simple a few minutes ago suddenly feel much harder.

n a flood, fire or severe storm, there may be little time to work these things out. A plan, essential supplies and important information gathered beforehand can help you make decisions and look after yourself and others. 

Major Bindy Lupis, national response manager with The Salvation Army Emergency Services, offered a useful question in a recent Morning Show interview: “Think, what do I need for 72 hours that I couldn’t go without?” 

When an emergency looms or disrupts daily life, you might have to leave quickly or stay put, possibly without power, water or other essential services. What you need will depend on your circumstances, but planning ahead can make a big difference. Here are four places to begin:

1. Make an emergency plan

Make a plan that suits your circumstances. If you live with others, talk it through together. Your plan should cover:

• Where to go:
  • Where would you go if you needed to leave?
  • Where would you meet others if you were separated?
• Who to contact:
  • How would you contact the people close to you? Have key phone numbers written down in case you can not use your mobile.
• Neighbours:
  • Who could you exchange phone numbers with, so you can check on one another or share local updates if one of you has left the area?
• Support needs:
  • What help would you or someone in your household need to leave safely?
  • Can you manage without essential services, including needs related to disability or a chronic health condition?
• Pets, if you have them:
  • How would you transport them?
  • Where could they stay?
• Warnings:
  • Do you know where to get local warnings and evacuation advice?
  • How would you hear updates if your phone ran flat or the power went out?

2. Gather what you would need 

The Salvation Army Emergency Services’ disaster preparation guide has checklists for both leaving home quickly and managing a prolonged blackout.

For a 'go bag’, think about:

• Medication and health: regular medication, prescription details and a small first aid kit
• Identification: documents you would need if you had to leave home
• Food and water: supplies you could take with you
• Power and light: a torch, batteries, a phone charger and a power bank if possible
• Personal needs: a change of clothes, hygiene items, supplies for children or pets if needed, and some cash if you can manage it

If you stayed home without power, what would you need for three days? The Salvation Army’s 'blackout bag’ checklist includes:

• Food and water: a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water
• Light and power: torches, spare batteries and a charged power bank or car phone charger
• Health and hygiene: medication, first aid supplies and personal hygiene items
• A way to hear updates: a battery-powered radio if you cannot use your phone

The ABC recommends finding your local station and writing down its frequency ahead of time.

You may already have some of these things. Find them, keep them somewhere accessible and add what is missing when you can. Check batteries, food dates and medication regularly.

3. Get your important information together

If you had to leave home, could you quickly find the documents and details you might need? The Salvation Army’s Moneycare has a checklist of important documents that includes:

• Identification and medical information
• Insurance documents
• Proof of where you live, such as a rental agreement, rates notice or utility bill
• Contact details for people you may need to reach, such as family or friends, your real estate agent or your accountant

Keep important documents somewhere safe that you can reach quickly. If you store copies on your phone, consider a backup you could use without it, such as paper copies in your 'go bag’ or copies held by a trusted person outside your area. Secure cloud storage may let you access them from another device.

Take some current photos of your home, car and belongings. They may provide a useful record if anything is damaged or lost. You might also photograph things with sentimental value, such as a child’s artwork or a family keepsake.

4. Check your finances and know where to seek help

A disaster may bring unexpected costs: travel, temporary accommodation or replacing essentials. When money is already tight, even a small extra expense can be difficult to manage. There are still useful things you can check ahead of time.

• Check your insurance: Find your policy, see what it covers and excludes, and check what excess you would have to pay. Ask your insurer to explain anything you do not understand.
• Review your regular spending: Check bank statements for charges you do not recognise and subscriptions you no longer use. It may help you see whether there is anything you could save and put aside for unexpected costs.
• Find out what help is available: After a disaster, further assistance may be available depending on the event and your circumstances. Services Australia lists support for declared natural disasters. Other grants and subsidies may also be available.

Moneycare’s free Planning for the Unplanned eBook shares practical advice and stories from people who have lived through natural disasters. Alongside financial preparation, it considers the people you can turn to and the support you may need during recovery.

Where to begin? 

You do not need to finish every item on the list today. You could begin by finding your important documents or checking what your insurance covers. Then take another step when you can.

Importantly, “know that you are not alone,” says Moneycare’s national manager, Kristen Hartnett.

The Salvation Army’s Moneycare offers free, confidential financial counselling and resources, whether money concerns are making it hard to prepare or you are dealing with financial difficulties after a disaster. You can contact the team online or call 1800 722 363.