How prepared do you feel to take on a natural disaster? As a company that tries to provide the best backup power supply, we set out to find how people prepare for an emergency situation like natural disasters. In a recent survey conducted by Geneverse (formerly Generark) and OnePoll, we’ve compiled our findings here.

First and foremost, approximately 40% of people don’t have a plan in place should a natural disaster happen, and 53% believe that their knowledge of disaster movies would enable them to get through a natural disaster without preparedness. Not surprisingly, homeowners were the most likely to have a plan in place with 67%. Across the board, people who have previously experienced a natural disaster are more likely to be prepared than those who haven’t. On average, people would rate their natural disaster preparedness as a 6 out of 10, with homeowners being more confident and those ages 40-55. Understandably, Westerners are the most confident region for disaster preparedness as they experience many common natural disasters like earthquakes and tornadoes. 

When asked the top reasons for not having a potential plan in place, people responded that disasters aren’t common in their area (29%), they don’t have the space to store any supplies (26%), or simply because they didn’t think it was necessary to have a plan (22%). Ultimately, almost three-quarters of homeowners state they want to be more prepared in the event of a natural disaster but don’t quite know where to start.

At the top, the most common natural disasters people have experienced are power blackouts (51%). A third of our respondents have stated they’ve lost power for up to three days due to a natural disaster, something that can be pretty detrimental for a family. Hurricanes take the second most spot with 34% followed closely by tornadoes (32%). 

People, on average, would spend upwards of $2000 on supplies to prepare for a natural disaster, especially knowing that it could protect them and their families. Top items people would purchase as preparation for a natural disaster are flare guns (77%), sandbags (76%), and a solar or battery-based power station (70%). Even divided by regions, a backup power solution was always a chosen option. Some top items people have already purchased in preparation are blankets (71%), flashlights (70%), and a separate knife (68%).

We hope these findings will not overwhelm you but instead emphasize the importance of being prepared in an emergency situation. It may not always be a massive natural disaster like a hurricane or tornado. Still, maybe a blackout situation where having a plan in place can benefit you and your family no matter the area, age, or home you live in.