15 Survival Mistakes Most People Make Before, During, and After a Disaster

Survival mistakes rarely look like mistakes until after the fact. They look like reasonable decisions made under pressure, incomplete information, or the comfortable assumption that things will work out.

FEMA's 2023 National Household Survey found that while 51% of Americans believe they are prepared for a disaster, fewer than 40% have actually created and discussed a household emergency plan. The gap between perceived and actual preparedness is where most mistakes live.

Here are 15 of the most common ones — and what to do instead.

Before the Disaster

1. Treating preparation as a one-time event A bug-out bag packed three years ago with expired food, corroded batteries, and an outdated medication list is not preparation. It's a box that creates false confidence. Preparation is a maintenance practice — not a purchase. Review your supplies every 6 months minimum. Rotate food. Check battery dates. Update medication quantities.

2. Planning for the wrong disaster Most people prepare for generic "emergencies" rather than the specific hazards they actually live near. A household in Oklahoma needs a different plan than one in coastal Florida or the Pacific Northwest. FEMA's National Risk Index lets you search your county's actual risk profile — wildfire, earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, winter storm — and build your preparation around real probabilities, not generic fears.

3. Storing water without a treatment backup Storing water is necessary. Assuming stored water is sufficient is a mistake. Containers degrade, seals fail, and stored water can be compromised. A purification backup — at minimum a filter and chemical disinfection — ensures that when stored supply runs out, you can produce more. These two categories should always be in place together.

4. Keeping everything in one location One go-bag in one closet is a single point of failure. If a fire starts in that part of the house, if you're away from home when disaster strikes, if the bag is buried under debris — your preparation is gone. Distribute: a vehicle kit in the car, a basic kit at your workplace, a secondary supply cached in a different room.

5. Ignoring prescription medications FEMA surveys consistently show that medication planning is among the lowest-priority actions households take — and among the highest-stakes gaps in a real emergency. A 72-hour kit requires at least a 7-day medication supply because pharmacy access routinely takes longer to restore than 3 days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about maintaining a buffer supply now.

During the Disaster

6. Waiting for an official order to act Official evacuation and emergency orders are issued after a threat is identified and assessed — which means they lag behind the actual danger. In fast-moving events like wildfires and flash floods, acting on a Watch rather than waiting for a Warning or Order is the decision that separates households that get out safely from those that don't.

7. Driving into floodwater Half of all flood-related drowning deaths occur when someone drives a vehicle into hazardous floodwater. Two feet (60 cm) of moving water can carry away most vehicles including trucks and SUVs. The road surface under floodwater is invisible and may be compromised. This mistake kills people every major flood season. Turn around. No exceptions.

8. Using generators, grills, or camp stoves indoors Carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading cause of storm-related deaths in the United States, according to CDC data. It is odorless and colorless. Generators must be operated at least 20 feet (6 meters) from any window or door — not in a garage, even with the door open. Camp stoves and charcoal grills are outdoor-only. This rule kills people every year because it's ignored in the moment when warmth or electricity feels urgent.

9. Calling instead of texting During a major disaster, local cell networks become overloaded within hours as everyone in the affected area attempts calls simultaneously. Voice calls require a sustained connection; texts queue and transmit in bursts when bandwidth is available. FCC and FEMA both explicitly recommend defaulting to text during emergency network congestion. Keep calls short, send texts, contact your out-of-state relay first.

10. Opening the refrigerator After a power outage, a sealed refrigerator stays safe for approximately 4 hours. A sealed full freezer holds for up to 48 hours. Every time you open the door, you reset the clock. In a grid-down situation, treat your fridge and freezer like sealed insulated boxes — open only when you need something specific, and close immediately. Plan your meals in advance to minimize access.

After the Disaster

11. Returning home before it's cleared Structures damaged by earthquake, flood, or fire may look intact while being structurally unsafe — compromised foundations, weakened floors, active gas leaks, live electrical hazards in standing water. Return only when authorities have cleared the area. If you must assess your own property before official clearance, look for cracks in the foundation, chimney damage, or visible structural distortion before entering.

12. Assuming floodwater is safe to touch Floodwater routinely contains raw sewage, agricultural runoff, fuel contamination, and industrial chemicals. It may also be electrically charged from submerged or downed power lines. Keep children away entirely. Avoid contact where possible. Wash thoroughly with soap and clean water if contact occurs, and treat any cuts or wounds contaminated by floodwater as high infection risk.

13. Neglecting mold after water intrusion Mold begins growing on wet materials within 24–48 hours of water intrusion. It's not visible immediately but it's already forming. Wet drywall, carpet, insulation, and wood that isn't dried quickly will require full removal — a dramatically more expensive outcome than rapid drying would have been. After any flood or water intrusion event, begin drying immediately: open windows, run fans, remove wet materials. Document everything photographically for insurance purposes before removal.

14. Not documenting damage immediately Insurance claims are built on documentation. Photographs and video of damage taken immediately after an event — before cleanup, before repairs, before anything is moved — are the foundation of a successful claim. After you've confirmed the property is safe to enter, photograph everything before touching it. This takes 20 minutes and can be worth thousands of dollars.

15. Treating the disaster as over when the immediate event ends The aftermath of a major disaster is its own sustained emergency — disrupted supply chains, contaminated water, compromised infrastructure, reduced emergency services, and ongoing health risks from mold, chemical exposure, and debris. FEMA advises planning for self-sufficiency of up to two weeks after a major event. The mistake is standing down after day one when the event is still actively affecting your household.

The Pattern Behind All 15

Most of these mistakes share a root cause: decisions made in the moment that should have been made in advance.

The driver who goes into floodwater didn't decide to risk their life. They decided, under pressure and incomplete information, that it was probably fine. The household with an expired go-bag didn't decide to be unprepared. They decided, once, that they were ready — and then stopped checking.

The gap between perceived and actual preparedness is the most dangerous place in emergency management. The fix isn't more gear. It's a honest assessment of what you've actually done versus what you've assumed.

Sources: FEMA 2023 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness | FEMA 2024 National Preparedness Report | CDC: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention | CDC: After a Flood | FCC/FEMA: Emergency Communications Tips | National Weather Service: Turn Around Don't Drown | SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center