How the score works
Nothing about this score is hidden. Here is the entire calculation.
The seven areas
You answer one question in each of seven areas: stored water, food without power, light and communication, critical powered needs, backup electricity, a safe fallback, and essential-load awareness. Every answer is worth 0, 1, 2, or 3 points, and the point value is printed on each answer as you take it. Your score is the plain sum: 0 to 21. It is never converted into a percentage.
The tiers
- 0–7: Foundation Stage
- 8–14: Partly Covered
- 15–21: Stronger 72-Hour Foundation
One override: if you report a critical powered need (medical equipment, refrigerated medicine, a well pump, mobility, or safe indoor temperature) scoring 0 or 1, the banner shows "Critical Needs First" instead of the normal tier — even if your total is high. A good total should never reassure you past an unhandled medical or safety dependency.
"Fix this first"
The first priority is safety-ordered, not just lowest-number-ordered: a critical powered need scoring 0–1 always comes first; otherwise water scoring 0–1 comes first; otherwise your lowest-scoring area wins, with ties broken in a safety-first order (critical needs, water, fallback, food, light, backup, load awareness).
"Then this"
The second priority is your lowest-scoring remaining area, skipping anything you already scored 3 out of 3 — the tool will not tell you to do work you reported as done. If every other area is already at full marks, the second slot becomes maintenance and retesting, because the next weak point of a finished plan is time. If all seven areas are at 3, the whole result is maintenance.
What it is not
This is a self-reported planning snapshot. It does not inspect your home, verify your equipment, size a generator or battery, or certify anything. The free plan it produces is summarized from public guidance by Ready.gov, the CDC, and FoodSafety.gov — see safety sources.
Why no email
The score, priorities, checklist, and worksheet are complete without an account or email, and your answers never leave your browser. The one commercial element on the site is a clearly disclosed optional affiliate link — see the affiliate disclosure.