California's back-to-back disaster years have made one thing clear: when an evacuation order comes, you rarely get more than a few minutes to grab your things and go. Cal OES and CalFire both emphasize having a go-bag ready before any threat appears, not during one. Here's what officials say should be in it, and how to think about building yours.
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The Core Supplies List
Cal OES guidance calls for enough supplies to sustain yourself for at least 72 hours without outside help, though one week is better if you can manage it. Start with water: the general emergency-preparedness standard, echoed by Cal OES and FEMA, is one gallon per person per day. For a household of two, that's at least six gallons for 72 hours. Store it in sealed, food-grade containers and rotate it out periodically.
Food should be non-perishable and require little to no cooking — think canned goods with pull tabs, dried fruit, nuts, protein bars, and peanut butter. Include a manual can opener even if your cans don't seem to need one. Officials recommend accounting for the dietary needs of everyone in your household, including infants, elderly family members, or anyone with medical restrictions.
Beyond food and water, Cal OES recommends packing a first aid kit, a battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight and radio (for emergency broadcasts if cell service goes down), extra batteries, a whistle, dust masks or N95 respirators, plastic sheeting and duct tape, and basic tools like a wrench or pliers to shut off utilities. Local animal shelters and county emergency management offices increasingly remind residents to pack supplies for pets too, since many evacuation centers have specific rules about animals.
Documents and Medications You Can't Replace on the Road
This is the category people most often forget until it's too late. Pack copies of critical documents in a waterproof bag or case: photo ID, Social Security cards, insurance policies (home, auto, health), bank account information, medication lists, and any prescriptions you or a family member take regularly. CalFire and county emergency managers consistently flag medications as a top gap — if you take a daily prescription, keep at least a several-day supply in your go-bag and refresh it regularly so it doesn't expire.
A small amount of cash in small bills is worth including. After a major disaster, ATMs can go offline and card readers often fail. Enough for gas, a night at a motel, or a few meals gives you real flexibility when systems are overwhelmed.
If you can, store digital backups of your most important documents in secure cloud storage or on a USB drive in the bag. If you lose the physical copies, having access to digital versions from any device can speed up insurance claims and identity verification significantly.
Wildfire-Specific Additions
If you live in a wildfire-prone area, which in California is a large share of the state, your go-bag needs a few extras. N95 respirators or better are essential: wildfire smoke contains particulates that standard dust masks won't filter. Pack goggles if anyone in your household has respiratory sensitivities. Include a change of clothes in a sealed bag, since clothing can absorb smoke and ash. Sturdy, closed-toe shoes for each person matter more than people expect when evacuating across debris-covered ground.
CalFire also encourages residents in high-severity fire zones to keep their vehicle's gas tank at least half-full during elevated fire weather periods. Your go-bag doesn't help if you can't get out of the driveway. It's also worth identifying two evacuation routes out of your neighborhood in advance, since fires can block roads quickly and the obvious exit isn't always the safe one.
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Earthquake-Specific Additions
Earthquake preparedness shares most of the same go-bag basics, but the USGS and Cal OES highlight a few earthquake-specific items. Heavy gloves for handling broken glass and debris should be in the bag. A pry bar or crowbar is recommended for households in older buildings, where structural damage can trap people. A copy of your household's reunion plan matters too: where will you meet if cell networks are congested and you can't reach each other by phone? Pick a location near home and one farther away, and make sure everyone in the household knows both.
USGS and the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, which is operational across California, can give you seconds of advance notice before shaking arrives. Check whether your phone's wireless emergency alerts are enabled, as ShakeAlert notifications are delivered through that system. Those seconds are not enough to pack anything, but they're enough to drop, cover, and hold on — which is exactly why the go-bag needs to be ready before the ground moves.
How to Store and Maintain Your Go-Bag
A go-bag only works if it's actually ready to go. Cal OES recommends reviewing and refreshing your supplies at least once a year. A common approach is to tie the review to a date you'll remember, like when daylight saving time ends or on a household member's birthday. Check expiration dates on food, water, and medications. Replace batteries. Make sure documents haven't become outdated. And keep the bag somewhere you can grab it in under two minutes, near a door or in your car, not buried in a closet.
Cal OES maintains a detailed preparedness checklist at caloes.ca.gov, and CalFire's fire preparedness resources are at fire.ca.gov. USGS ShakeAlert information is available at usgs.gov/shakealert. These pages are updated as guidance evolves, so they're worth bookmarking.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice — check Cal OES at caloes.ca.gov, CalFire at fire.ca.gov, and your county's Office of Emergency Services for guidance on your specific situation and local requirements.