How to prepare for an emergency: What households in different countries stock up on

Dan C, a physiotherapist in Maryland, started his emergency supply after becoming a father. So far, he has spent about $6,000 (£4,470), storing it on shelves in his basement.

“It’s part of my responsibility as a parent,” says Dan, 38, who has two children under 10.

A few years ago his house was cut off during a “very cold” February and the family was without power for two days. Though he’d already started keeping supplies, “there were numerous gaps in what I had prepared for,” he says.

Dan’s stash now includes 150 gallons of water and several large water storage containers made of soft plastic, which can be filled and kept in the bath. He also keeps things like chlorine dioxide tablets, which are often used to make water from streams or rivers safe to drink.

His “rotating pantry” – consisting of long-life food supplies like oats, quinoa and peanut butter – is regularly used for cooking then replaced so “it’s not just sitting there expiring”. For his family-of-four, he has about three months of food supplies.

Dan also has solar panels, a camping stove, a tent, wood supplies and a propane fireplace insert that can run off grid – without electricity or wood. He also keeps extensive medical supplies – including bleeding control kits.

In the US, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, external advises people to assemble an emergency kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed about how to respond to different incidents.

Dan says when it comes to emergency planning, “there can be a tendency to catastrophise,” but for him, it’s about being a “responsible homeowner”.