How to Make an Emergency What-if Scenario List

Whether it is hurricane warnings, power outages, or a sewer line leak, all these emergencies may take us by surprise, leaving us wondering what to do next. We have tasks we need to do after they happen, but we may forget them if we haven't done them in a while. This post will share how to make an emergency what-if scenario list to help you get to the tasks right away and out of shock mode. Follow along and make yours today.

Jump to:

• My personal experience
• What is an emergency what-if scenario list?
• Why do I need to make an emergency what-if scenarios list?
• What emergency scenarios should you have predetermined steps established?
• Where should I store the emergency scenarios what-if list?
• Additional tips when making your list:

My personal experience

Emergencies always make me feel lost and worried about what to do next. So, to help with my anxiety about this, in recent years, I decided to create a what-if scenario list to help gather all the information about my home, the warranties that we have, and what other things are purchased just for emergencies and where they are located. All these things are stored throughout the home and could easily be forgotten. So, to remind my family and me what to do and where these items are, I created this what-if scenario list digitally to feel more in control.

Jump to:

• My personal experience
• What is an emergency what-if scenario list?
• Why do I need to make an emergency what-if scenarios list?
• What emergency scenarios should you have predetermined steps established?
• Where should I store the emergency scenarios what-if list?
• Additional tips when making your list:

What is an emergency what-if scenario list?

An emergency what-if scenario list involves creating the scenarios on a digital file and steps that spell out what you need to do next. Listing each task step by step reminds you what needs to be completed.

Why do I need to make an emergency what-if scenarios list?

There are many benefits to doing the emergency what-if scenarios list. Below are just some reasons.

• Reduce Stress - having a list of tasks will reduce the stress you may be experiencing.
• Delegate the to-do tasks - If you have adult children who live with you, you can pass on the step-by-step tasks for emergencies so they can easily read the instructions and take action when you are not home.
• Peace of mind - you will appreciate knowing what systems you have in place to protect your home's items.
• You will be able to see pitfalls and areas that need revisiting more easily. When you start to write down the steps, you may find some scenarios you may need to modify because you missed a step.

The What-if Scenarios list will give you a big picture of emergencies you may have experienced. However, keeping them written down and known to everyone allows for quick pivoting if needed when something happens.

What emergency scenarios should you have predetermined steps established?

These emergency scenarios should be customizable to your home and even business. I will give you some scenarios you can use, but you may have experienced others as well.

• Flooding in the basement or water through the walls in the basement
• Power outage - battery backup systems in place
• Siding falling off from a storm
• Water leak under a sink
• Sewer line backups into the house
• Roof leaking
• Hurricane emergency
• Nuclear Power Plant meltdown
• A Tree falls down
• A death of a loved one
• Toilet leak
• Flat tire
• The main water line leak
• In case of a fire

Where should I store the emergency scenarios what-if list?

Having this list digitally and shared by all adults works nicely. But it can also be printed and placed in a safe (Affiliate Link) where other important documents are located.

Additional tips when making your list:

Below are some additional tips to remember.

• Review this what-if list after emergencies happen. Modifying your steps is essential since we do not know if they will work until we implement them.
• You may also have questions to add to your what-if list. We may not think of all the scenarios that may happen. Revisiting this list once a year and reviewing each scenario will remind you of the steps you need to take and if any need to be modified.

I hope this post inspires you to create your own emergency what-if scenario list for peace of mind. Please leave a comment or question below if you have one or are thinking of making one.

Visit my other emergency preparedness posts to learn more!