California cooling prep
California Heat wave
Build a California heat wave kit for hydration, cooling, outage resilience, and vulnerable household members.
Best for
Water is the base layer, but cooling plans and shade matter just as much during a long heat event.
What this page covers
Heat wave kits work best when they help the household stay hydrated, cool, and functional when indoor comfort falls and the weather does not break quickly. That means a strong heat wave checklist goes beyond canned food and batteries. Most households also need a faster document plan, clearer communication habits, and a simple way to keep the highest-priority items together instead of scattered across rooms.
Good first action
Households with infants, seniors, pets, or health conditions should identify a fallback cool location early.
Build your family checklist
Five-minute setup for a household-sized emergency supply plan.
How this checklist helps
Heat wave kits work best when they help the household stay hydrated, cool, and functional when indoor comfort falls and the weather does not break quickly. That means a strong heat wave checklist goes beyond canned food and batteries. Most households also need a faster document plan, clearer communication habits, and a simple way to keep the highest-priority items together instead of scattered across rooms.
California households benefit from planning around timing as much as item count. Build the 72-hour baseline first, then add the hydration and cooling layer that matches this hazard. Use the generator above to size quantities by family members, pets, and vehicles, and use the sample list below as a static planning model you can print or compare.
Static sample
Sample four-person three-day heat wave kit
This example adds hydration and cooling priorities to a normal family emergency supply baseline.
| Item | Quantity | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 12 gallons | A four-person household using the standard one gallon per person per day baseline for three days. |
| Shelf-stable meals and snacks | 36 meal equivalents | Three meal equivalents per day for four people, using foods that are easy to serve during an outage. |
| Flashlights or lanterns | 4 | Enough light for bedrooms, bathrooms, and a shared living area during a night outage. |
| Battery or hand-crank radio | 1 | A backup way to receive alerts when power, Wi-Fi, or mobile charging becomes unreliable. |
| First aid kit | 1 household kit | Stock the basics first, then add allergy medicine, child-safe medications, and other family-specific items. |
| Phone chargers and backup battery | 1 household set | Helps keep communication, maps, and emergency contact access available during disruptions. |
| Electrolytes and extra drinking water | 4 sets | Useful when higher indoor temperatures increase hydration needs. |
| Cooling towels and portable fans | 4 items | Helps reduce strain when air conditioning is limited or unavailable. |
| Cooling center and transport plan | 1 plan | Some households need a clear fallback if home temperatures stay unsafe. |
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