Credit, not a copy
Sources
The lessons on the ladder are rewritten here. The official pages stay the official pages. Linking is always fine. A short fact, with the link beside it, is how a number like “one gallon per person per day” should travel. Wholesale copies are not the point, and not everything on a government site is free to republish.
How to read our citations
- U.S. federal work made by government employees is generally public domain. Ready.gov and CDC pages are still full of charts, photos, partner PDFs, and marks that are not a blanket permission slip.
- We do not use agency seals, and we do not write in a way that sounds like FEMA wrote this site.
- State and local sites are often still copyrighted. When we need them later, we will link first.
- None of this is legal advice. It is the working rule for a free guide.
Pages the ladder relies on
- Ready.gov — Make a planFamily plan, meeting places, out-of-area contact.
- Ready.gov — Build a kitThe basic supply list, including water, food, and a NOAA Weather Radio.
- Ready.gov — WaterAt least one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
- Ready.gov — FoodNon-perishable food and the reasons a manual can opener is not optional.
- Ready.gov — Power outagesOutage safety, including not heating the house with a gas oven.
- Ready.gov — EvacuationLeaving when the place you are in is the problem.
- Ready.gov — Be informedHow warnings are supposed to reach you before the network gets weird.
- Ready.gov — Coping with disasterCommon stress reactions, in the government’s words.
- NOAA Weather RadioTone-alert radio when the apps are down.
- CDC — About carbon monoxideGenerators stay outside, more than 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents. Never in the garage.
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline1-800-985-5990, call or text, for stress after a disaster.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988 if you are in crisis yourself.