UK government launches three-day emergency preparedness campaign

Streeting says advice was not prompted by specific intelligence

The UK government launched its “Be Ready” campaign on Thursday, telling British households to have three days’ worth of food and water on hand, plus other basic supplies, for a national emergency. The campaign warns that severe weather and cyberattacks could disrupt essential services. On Friday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said unexpected events seemed to be becoming more common and recommended that households stock tinned food and bottled water. Burnham also said everyone should have “those supplies in the house to get you through those moments.”

The recommended stock includes bottled water and non-perishable foods, along with wet wipes, a torch and cash. The government recommends keeping enough supplies in the kitchen to last three days and says people who need medication should keep an extra supply.

Disaster planning expert Professor Lucy Easthope said the goal of asking households to prepare is to make it easier for emergency services to cope in the event of a national emergency. She used heart medicine as an example, saying an additional 48 hours could stop response crews from having to find an emergency pharmacist immediately.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the advice, which was similar to guidance issued by the previous government, was not triggered by any “particular piece of intelligence.” He said it was about improving “national resilience” more generally.

The announcement focused on extreme weather events, which it linked to more frequent events because of man-made climate change. Streeting also referred to “increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks” on businesses and supply-chain disruption caused by “hostile state actors or terrorists.”

Easthope said she had been lobbying the government to launch this kind of campaign for “about 16 years.” She said successive governments had been hesitant about “putting out information that might cause tension” and speculated that the advice may have been “rushed” out ahead of Storm Austen hitting the UK.

The report noted that many homes already have a stash of tinned food in the cupboards, while fewer homes are likely to have a store of bottled water.

Bridgette Clamp, who lives near Penzance in Cornwall, told Radio 5 Live that she had stocked up on “lots of tinned goods,” flour, yeast and everything to bake bread. “We’re rocking and rolling,” she said. She also bought generators and water pumps after Storm Goretti earlier this year.

One woman, who spoke to 5 Live anonymously, said she bought “loads and loads” of emergency food but ate it before it was strictly necessary. She still wondered whether the government was “scaremongering,” adding: “I don’t know but I’ve certainly bought into it.”

Rob, who lives off-grid in north Wales, told the programme he had stocked up on so many supplies that he “wouldn’t even notice” if a disaster struck. He said he still felt there was “a bit of scaremongering” going on and wondered whether he would ever need all the supplies he had accumulated.

Paul from Torquay, Devon, questioned the practical advice about water when speaking to Radio 5 Live: “Who on earth carries three day supply of water?” He added: “I think they’ve made it our responsibility, rather than their responsibility.” Easthope said the underlying goal was to make it easier for emergency services to cope during a national emergency.

Easthope described the UK as “light years” behind neighbouring countries in disaster preparedness and said it was playing “massive catch-up.” Easthope cited longstanding preparedness efforts in Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. France advises people to store 72 hours’ worth of food, while the German government says homes should have enough supplies for a 10-day period.

Easthope said awareness campaigns such as “think 72 hours” make a significant difference in the US, Australia and elsewhere in Europe. She said UK disaster messaging is often parodied or prompts accusations of “panic-mongering,” but added that public recognition of the need for preparedness has increased in recent years.