Emergency Planning Isn’t Overreacting — It’s Smart

We tend to prepare for emergencies after we’ve already lived through one. But if you own a property in California (or anywhere, really), planning isn’t paranoid — it’s practical. Whether it’s power outages, earthquakes, wildfires, or extended absences, smart homeowners and estate managers treat emergency preparedness like a service category.

Your Basic Emergency Planning Toolkit:

• Flashlights, lanterns, headlamps in key drawers

• Battery backups for garage doors, fridges, routers

• Emergency water shutoff and gas shutoff instructions (and tools)

• Vendor list for urgent response: plumber, roofer, water mitigation

• Basic supplies for 72 hours of disruption

• A laminated “When Power Goes Out” cheat sheet by the panel

Estate-Level Add-Ons:

• Battery or backup generator

• Monitored leak sensors and shutoff valves

• Emergency supplies* staged in the garage or secondary structure

• Emergency contacts list for every property in your portfolio

Tip: Walk through “what if” scenarios at least once per year. Pretend the power went out right now — what works? What doesn’t? That’s your to-do list.

*For comprehensive emergency supplies lists checkout Ready.gov and the Red Cross