What we are watching this week, and what it means for a household. We check the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, FEMA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and publish what is worth acting on. When nothing is urgent, we say so.
This page keeps every edition, newest first. Each line links to the guide that answers it. We do not reproduce news reports: the facts below come from official alerts and advisories, and the links go to the agencies themselves.
September 24, 2026
- Flooding: flood warnings and watches in effect across West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Texas. The 12-inch rule →
- Pacific hurricanes: Odalys and Polo active in the Eastern Pacific; advisories in force for Hawaii. Watch vs warning →
- CPSC recall: Hayward universal pool heaters, carbon monoxide risk. Not a product we recommend, but the CO rule is the same indoors. CO alarms →
September 21, 2026
- Wildfire: Hydra Fire (Texas) at 933 acres, 66 % contained, evacuation order lifted. Wildfire evacuation checklist →
- National Preparedness Month: FEMA campaign running all month; the climatological peak of the hurricane season was September 10. What a 72-hour kit costs →
September 18, 2026
- Federal fire declarations: FEMA fire management assistance granted for the Bunker Fire (Arkansas) and the Hydra Fire (Texas). Wildfire evacuation checklist →
- Flash flooding: warnings in West Virginia after repeated heavy rain.
Where these come from
- National Weather Service — active watches and warnings
- National Hurricane Center — tropical cyclone advisories
- FEMA — federal disaster and fire management declarations
- CPSC — product recalls affecting preparedness gear
- USGS — earthquakes
For the numbers behind our guides, see our emergency preparedness statistics page; to size your own supplies, use the free calculator.