Grab bag

The Be Ready preparedness page says: "You could consider keeping some essential items you might need to take with you if asked to leave your home quickly in a spare bag, you might hear some people call this a 'grab bag'." It sits in the section on preparing your home, alongside checking insurance and knowing how to turn off gas, electricity and water if you have to leave.

The Be Ready flooding page gives the contents. It suggests packing a grab bag "of essentials in advance", which "could include any medication you need, a first aid kit and important documents, as well as items such as a torch, bottled water, warm waterproof clothing, and baby care items", and storing the bag "somewhere you can easily get to".

The grab bag is separate from the three-day household stock. The stock is for staying put while services are disrupted; the bag is for leaving. Be Ready's household plan advice links the two: keep the printable household emergency plan with passports, birth certificates and insurance policies so they are easier to gather quickly, decide a meeting point in case you cannot return home, and follow the advice of the emergency services if asked to evacuate.