Gautreaux Family Preparedness Plan

At a glance

Plan level: Minimum = Ready.gov baseline (3 days water, about 1 week food). Recommended = 14 days water, about 30 days food, backup power.

Budget

Default decision

Shelter in place. Leave only on an official order, fire, flooding, structural damage, or danger reaching our street.

Do this today

Key numbers

911 · Duke outage 800-769-3766 · Charlotte Water / CMPD non-emergency 311 · Poison 800-222-1222 · NOAA WXL70 162.475 MHz

Checkboxes save to this device and also sync to a shared family copy, so Charlie and his wife see the same progress. Prices are approximate as of Oct 2026. Product links go to the exact product page (verified loading). Search links are a fallback where retailers block deep links or rotate SKUs.

Water and calorie math

Water

Drinking + cooking + basic hygiene = 1 gal per person per day (Ready.gov).
4 people x days = gallons stored.
Kids and hot weather (Charlotte summers, outages without AC): add 25%.
Hidden reserves: 40 to 50 gal water heater, bathtub (WaterBOB 100 gal), toilet tanks for flushing only.

Calories

Adults ~2,200 kcal/day each. Boys: plan ~1,800 (ages 4 to 8) to ~2,400 (teens); use 2,000 each.
Family need = 8,400 kcal/day.
days = kcal.
Planned food on the list supplies kcal.

Rough calorie sources

Peanut butter 2-pk 9,400 · trail mix 4 lb 10,000 · 48 bars 9,100 · canned chicken 6-pk 2,400 · can of chili/soup 400 · rice+oats 55,000 · ReadyWise bucket 25,000 · milk 18-pk 2,700. Plus whatever is in your pantry and freezer (eat fridge first, freezer second, shelf food last).

1. Buy list

Quantities update with the plan-level toggle. Check items off as you buy them.

2. Shopping trip plan

Grouped into an efficient route from Dilworth. Do Costco and Home Depot on one weekend morning (Costco opens 10 AM; heavy water first, then the Home Depot run), Target on any weekday, and place one Amazon order today so it arrives while you shop.

Suggested route: Amazon order (tonight) → Costco Charlotte (500 Arrowood Rd area, ~10 min down I-77 S) → Home Depot (South Blvd / Woodlawn) → Target (Midtown, 900 Metropolitan Ave) → Walmart pickup order or South Blvd Walmart. Lowe's and First Alert items can be ordered online. Verify store hours before you go.

3. Scenario playbooks

Each playbook: triggers, then actions for the first hour, first 24 hours, and first week.

Hurricane remnants, ice storm, long power outage

Triggers: NWS Tropical Storm or Ice Storm Warning for Mecklenburg; forecast of 1/4 inch or more of ice; Duke Energy estimates of multi-day restoration. Charlotte usually gets inland tropical rain and wind (Hugo 1989, Helene 2024) and ice storms that knock power out for days.

Before / first hour
Charge everything (power station, banks, phones). Fill WaterBOB, jugs, pots. Fridge and freezer to coldest; freeze water bottles. Fuel car above 3/4. Get cash. Move car out from under big oaks. Bring in patio items.

First 24 hours
Report outage to Duke (800-769-3766 or text OUT to 57801). Keep fridge closed (4 hours safe, full freezer 48 hours). Generator outdoors only, 20 ft from house, CO alarms on. Avoid downed lines, treat all as live. Check on neighbors.

First week
Eat fridge, then freezer, then shelf food. Rotate power station between fridge, phones, CPAP. If house drops below 50F or exceeds 90F with no fix, go to a warming/cooling center or evacuate to relatives. Photograph damage for insurance.

Pandemic or supply shortage

Triggers: CDC/NCDHHS community transmission alerts, school closures, store shortages, a family member ill.

First hour
Confirm 30-day prescriptions and OTC fever meds. Mask stock (N95). Set up a sick room plan (one bathroom if possible).

First 24 hours
One adult does one big shop (or pickup order). Switch to curbside. Sanitize high-touch surfaces. Plan home school and remote work.

First week
Limit trips to once weekly. Track symptoms and temps. Use telehealth before ER. Keep the boys on a routine. Do not hoard; rotate.

Grid, cyber, or bank outage

Triggers: wide internet, card network, or bank outage; ATMs down; regional grid emergency; credible cyberattack news.

First hour
Use cash for essentials. Screenshot or print latest balances. Do not click "fix your account" texts or emails (scams spike). Fill car.

First 24 hours
Check your offline account sheet. Verify paychecks and autopays when systems return. Use radio for news. Reduce spending to essentials.

First week
Watch accounts for fraud. Freeze credit if any breach is involved. Keep cash topped to $500. Barter and neighbor help.

Civil unrest or war

Triggers: unrest or curfew in Uptown or nearby; national emergency; attack on US soil; official guidance to avoid areas.

First hour
Get everyone home or to the nearest safe adult. Avoid Uptown (1 to 2 miles away). Lock doors, lights low, stay off social media with location. Fuel and cash if safe.

First 24 hours
Shelter in place unless danger reaches the street. Follow CharMeck Alerts and CMPD. Pre-load car with go-bags. Decide go/no-go at 8 AM and 8 PM check-ins.

First week
If instability persists, relocate early to the out-of-area contact (leave before roads clog). Keep low profile. Keep documents and cash on you.

House fire

Triggers: smoke alarm, smoke, flames. Fire can make a home unsurvivable in 2 minutes (Red Cross).

First minute
Get out, stay out. Crawl low. Feel doors. Meet at the front mailbox. Call 911 from outside. Never go back in.

First 24 hours
Red Cross provides emergency lodging (1-800-RED-CROSS). Call insurance. Grab safe box only when fire department says OK.

First week
Use the USB vault and cloud copies to replace IDs and cards. Keep receipts for additional living expense coverage.

Chemical or nuclear: shelter in place

Triggers: official order, hazmat release (rail lines and I-77/I-85 freight), nuclear plant alert (McGuire is ~20 mi north, Catawba ~20 mi southwest), or nuclear detonation warning.

First hour
Get inside, stay inside, stay tuned. Close windows, turn off HVAC and fans. Go to an interior room (lowest floor for nuclear, upper floor for chemical). If you were outside, remove outer clothes and shower.

First 24 hours
Stay put at least 24 hours unless told otherwise. Use stored water and food. Radio for instructions. Take potassium iodide only if officials say so.

First week
Follow official evacuation zones. Duke Energy and NC Emergency Management publish McGuire/Catawba plans; we are outside the 10-mile zones but follow direction.

4. Charlotte specifics

Utilities and city

Duke Energy outages: 800-769-3766, text OUT to 57801, or duke-energy.com/outages
Charlotte Water: 311 (704-336-7600), main breaks and water quality
Piedmont Natural Gas leaks: 800-752-7504 (leave house first)
CMPD non-emergency: 311 or 704-336-7600
Emergency Management: 704-336-2412

Nearest hospitals

Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, 1000 Blythe Blvd (Level I trauma, Levine Children's), about 1.5 mi.
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, 200 Hawthorne Ln (Hemby Children's), about 2.5 mi.
Urgent care first for minor issues to keep ERs clear.

Alerts and radio

Sign up: CharMeck Alerts. ReadyNC app. Phone Wireless Emergency Alerts on.
NOAA Weather Radio: WXL70, 162.475 MHz (Spencer Mountain), Mecklenburg SAME code 037119. Local news radio: WBT 1110 AM, WFAE 90.7 FM.

Flooding near Dilworth

Little Sugar Creek (along Kings Dr / Freedom Park), Briar Creek, and Sugar Creek flood fast in heavy rain. Never drive through water on Kings Dr, Princeton Ave, or Freedom Dr underpasses. Check our parcel on the FEMA Flood Map and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services floodplain maps.

Shelters

Shelters are opened per event by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management and the Red Cross (often schools or rec centers). Check CharMeck Alerts, 311, or Red Cross open shelters. Bring go-bags, meds, IDs, pet carriers.

Evacuation destinations and routes

Direction	Destination	Primary route	Distance / time	Use when
North	Greensboro / Winston-Salem	I-85 N or I-77 N to I-40 E	90 mi / 1.5 h	Local problem in Charlotte only
Northeast	Raleigh-Durham	I-85 N to I-40 E	170 mi / 2.75 h	Big-city hub with hospitals and airport
North	Roanoke, VA	I-77 N to I-81 N	200 mi / 3.25 h	Regional Carolinas event
South	Columbia, SC	I-77 S	95 mi / 1.5 h	Not for hurricanes moving inland from SC
Southwest	Atlanta, GA	I-85 S	245 mi / 3.75 h	Event to the north or east
West	Asheville / Hendersonville	I-85 S to US-74 W or I-40 W via I-77 N	130 mi / 2.25 h	Not for tropical storms (Helene hit the mountains hardest)
Backroads	Any of the above	US-74, US-29, US-21, NC-16, NC-49	add 30 to 60%	Interstates jammed; keep paper map

Distances are approximate from 28203. Check DriveNC.gov before leaving. Rule: leave early, half tank minimum always, full tank when a storm is 3 days out.

5. Family plan

Stay home when

Outages, storms, ice, pandemic, cyber/bank events, unrest not on our street, any official shelter order.

Leave when

Official evacuation order; fire, gas leak, flood, or structural damage; no heat or AC in dangerous weather 72+ hours; violence reaches the neighborhood.

Rally points

Fire: front mailbox at 672 Ideal Way.
Neighborhood: (suggest Latta Park, 601 East Blvd, or a nearby church).
Out of town: (100+ miles away, see routes).
Schools: each school's reunification site:

Communication plan

Out-of-area contact: Name Phone . Everyone texts them "OK + location".
Text first, call second. Check-ins on the hour for 3 hours, then 8 AM and 8 PM.
Walkie channel privacy code . Radio on WXL70.
Family code word (pickup and "this is real"):

Roles

Charlie: Incident lead

Makes stay/go call. Power (generator, station), vehicle and fuel, utility shutoffs, security.

Mom: Comms and health

Out-of-area contact, check-ins, meds and first aid, documents, school pickup coordination.

Older boy: Lights and water

Headlamps and lanterns, own go-bag, helps fill and carry water.

Younger boy: Buddy and comfort

Stays with an adult, own small go-bag, pets and comfort kit.

6. Home hardening

Generator and power station

Generators outdoors only, 20+ ft from doors and windows, never in the garage (CO kills, CDC). Never backfeed the house; use a transfer switch installed by an electrician or extension cords. Power stations are safe indoors. Let engines cool before refueling.

Water heater as water source

40 to 50 gal of clean water. Turn off power or gas first, close the cold inlet, open a hot faucet to vent, drain from the bottom valve into a clean container. Flush sediment yearly so it stays usable.

Fire and CO

Extinguishers in kitchen, garage, and bedroom hall; learn PASS. Smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, each level. CO alarm on each sleeping level. Test monthly.

Doors, windows, safe room

3-inch screws in strike plates, deadbolts, window locks, motion lights. Safe room: interior room or closet on lowest floor with no windows, stocked with water, radio, lantern, first aid, shoes.

Shutoff locations checklist

7. Financial and cyber readiness

Cash: $1,000 in small bills

20 x $1 = $20
16 x $5 = $80
20 x $10 = $200
35 x $20 = $700
Total $1,000. Split: $600 in safe, $100 in each adult go-bag, $50 in each boy's bag, $100 in car. Minimum plan: $500.

Offline account sheet

Printed and on encrypted USB: every bank, card, brokerage, 401(k), insurance policy, mortgage, utility, with account numbers (last 4 on paper), phone numbers, and website. Update every 6 months.

Credit freezes (free)

Freeze both adults and both boys (child identity theft is common) at Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. Lift temporarily when applying for credit. See USA.gov guidance.

Password manager emergency kit

Use 1Password or Bitwarden family plan. Print the Emergency Kit (account email, secret key, recovery codes), seal in the safe. Set up emergency access for the other spouse. Hardware security keys (2) for email and bank.

Document vault list

8. Kids section

Tasks for any age

Carry own go-bag. Know home address and one parent phone by heart. Know the fire meeting spot. Turn on headlamp, use walkie-talkie. Fill water bottles. Older: check on neighbors with an adult, help with radio log.

School pickup plan

Get each school's emergency and reunification policy. Put both adults and the out-of-area backup adult on authorized pickup lists. Code word required for anyone else. If adults cannot reach the school, the boys stay with school staff until picked up.

Comfort kit

Favorite snack, small toy or stuffed animal, deck of cards, book, photo of family, notebook and pencils, downloaded shows on a charged tablet.

How to talk to kids

Keep it calm and simple: "We have a plan so we are safe." Answer questions honestly at their level, limit news exposure, keep routines, give them jobs. Practice drills like a game. (Ready.gov/kids, Red Cross Pillowcase Project.)

9. Maintenance calendar and 30-day timeline

Download calendar (.ics) Adds recurring reminders to iPhone, Google, or Outlook calendar.

When	Task
Monthly (1st Sat)	Test smoke/CO alarms; run generator 15 min under load
Quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct)	Charge power station and power banks; family drill (fire, shelter, or grab-and-go 15 min)
March and November (time change)	Rotate water jugs; check food and med dates; update kid clothes in go-bags; update account sheet
June 1 (hurricane season)	Full kit audit; restock cash; refuel cans with stabilizer
October 1 (ice storm season)	Blankets, warm layers, propane check, chimney/heater service

30-day action timeline

10. Printable cards

Gautreaux Emergency Card (Fridge)

Emergency: 911
Address: 672 Ideal Way, Charlotte, NC 28203
Duke outage: 800-769-3766 / text OUT to 57801
Charlotte Water / CMPD non-emerg: 311
Gas leak (Piedmont): 800-752-7504
Poison Control: 800-222-1222
Atrium CMC: 1000 Blythe Blvd
Novant Presbyterian: 200 Hawthorne Ln

Out-of-area contact:
Charlie:
Mom:
Fire meet: front mailbox
Neighborhood meet:
Out-of-town:
Radio: NOAA 162.475 · WBT 1110 AM
Walkie: Ch ___ Code ___

Remember
Fire: get out, stay out, meet at mailbox.
Storm: interior room, lowest floor.
Chemical/nuclear: get in, stay in, stay tuned.
Text first, call second.
Generator outdoors only, 20 ft away.
Shutoffs: water ____ gas ____ panel ____

Wallet contact cards (cut out, 4 copies)

Checklists

Each go-bag (x4)

Grab on the way out

Car kit

Sources

Prepared for the Gautreaux family. Not official guidance; always follow instructions from local officials. Prices and phone numbers verified as of Oct 2026; re-check yearly.