Relatives in Vietnam repeatedly called Hoang Van Quy, 32, in Hannover, Germany, to urge him to buy a week’s worth of emergency supplies. Reports that several countries had advised residents to stock up had left them worried.

But he saw no reason to panic or anyone rushing to buy food. "After more than four years in Germany, I’m familiar with the way locals plan for risks. They insure everything and always keep a corner of their home stocked with emergency supplies," he said.

Germany holds Warntag (National Warning Day), when sirens and emergency alerts are tested, he said.

Households have for long been advised to keep enough food and drinking water for 10 days in case of natural disasters, widespread power outages, or supply disruptions in a handbook distributed by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).

"The purpose of the advice is to help people manage on their own during the first 72 hours, easing the burden on rescuers. Calm preparation is what matters most," Quy said.

Hoang Van Quy, 32, in Hannover, Germany. Photo courtesy of Hoang Van Quy.

In Berlin, Kieu Hoa, 35, treats government advice on emergency supplies much like a forecast of bad weather. After 12 years in Germany, she is used to keeping a stocked medicine cabinet, a rechargeable flashlight, and several containers of drinking water at home. Her neighborhood supermarkets remain well stocked and prices are stable.

"Germany’s advice is not simply to ‘buy things when there is bad news.’ It is about being prepared regularly, keeping supplies somewhere cool and dry, and checking expiration dates periodically," she said.

In the U.S., households are advised to keep enough food, drinking water, medicines, and other essentials for several days and draw up a household emergency plan.

This guidance has been available through Ready.gov since 2003 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Kim Tuyen, 31, in Chicago, learned about the guidance only after seeing it on TikTok and Instagram Reels in early November.

She went grocery shopping as usual over the weekend, buying an extra packet of noodles only because she had run out. "Where I live, snowstorms often last one or two days, and so keeping food in the refrigerator is a normal habit. No one is panicking."

In Toyama, Japan, Huynh Qui, 38, is familiar with government recommendations to keep three to seven days’ worth of food in preparation for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Disaster preparedness has become second nature to Japanese following the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Qui always keeps a case of mineral water and emergency toilet bags at home. "Natural disasters happen in cycles in Japan. No one rushes out to stockpile because convenience stores always have supplies available," he said.

In South Korea, authorities have issued no new advisory, but many Vietnamese living there continue to keep emergency supplies.

Nguyen Ngoan, 32, in Incheon, said she always has several small gas canisters, dried noodles, and bottled water in her kitchen. "People here have long kept dry food at home. They don’t wait until something happens before rushing to the supermarket."

Other countries have also promoted emergency preparedness in recent years.

In March 2025, the EU unveiled its Preparedness Union Strategy to help people cope with climate change, cyber incidents, and supply disruptions.

Sweden recommends keeping enough essentials to manage independently for at least seven days.

Bottled water, shelf-stable ready-to-eat food and other emergency supplies that the German government recommends keeping at home. Photo by Reuters/Annegret Hilse

Its booklet "If Crisis or War Comes," updated in 2024, explains how to respond to armed conflict, power outages, extreme weather, and cyberattacks.

Finland advises residents to keep enough essentials for 72 hours. Rescuers cannot reach every household immediately in an emergency, making families’ ability to manage on their own for the first three days a crucial part of civil defense, authorities in these countries explain.

Residents should prepare emergency bags containing enough supplies for 72 hours, Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation advised on Nov. 2.

The advice by various countries has prompted a lot of discussion among ethnic Vietnamese, for whom the concept is new, Hoang Lien, 25, who has lived in Bangkok for eight years, said.

Some people she knows bought extra medicines, drinking water, and canned foods with long shelf lives.

She herself stocked up, prompted by the recent flooding that disrupted life. "I packed a small backpack with a few cans of food, drinking water, cold medicine, and a flashlight. It’s like taking out an extra insurance policy for peace of mind, not excessive stockpiling," she said.