Forty-five percent of Americans say money is the main thing stopping them from getting ready for a disaster. Not time, not know-how. Cost. That is the headline finding of a national survey from United Way Worldwide and Verizon, released September 16.
The worry is widespread. Six in 10 respondents said a natural disaster could hit their household in the next year, yet only 15 percent would feel very prepared if one did. Just 16 percent have made and tested a household emergency plan. Another 28 percent don’t know where to begin, and 25 percent say they have no time.
Hindsight is expensive
People who have already been through a disaster answer differently. Among them, 68 percent wish they had prepared differently, and 87 percent say the experience made them more serious about the next one.
Concern also varies by place and by household. It rises to 68 percent along the Gulf Coast and 64 percent on the West Coast, against 60 percent nationally. Caregivers worry more than other adults, 71 percent to 57 percent. Cost bites hardest in Appalachia, where 57 percent name it as the top barrier, and on the West Coast, at 47 percent.
Asked what would help most, 49 percent pointed to physical preparedness kits and 39 percent to affordable, accessible information. They trust local emergency services (49 percent), local news (42 percent) and government agencies (40 percent) most for disaster information.
Who you can call
The survey also looked at people, not supplies. About 73 percent of adults feel a strong duty to help those in their circle and believe they can lean on family, friends and neighbors in a crisis. But 68 percent have five or fewer contacts they can rely on, and 13 percent have no one at all, a gap that can mean longer displacement, bigger financial losses and slower recovery for a community.
“For households already struggling to cover basic needs, preparing for a disaster can feel like one more cost they can’t afford,” said Rosie Allen-Herring, interim president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. The two organizations are promoting low- and no-cost steps through United We Prepare, a national initiative led by United Way Worldwide and supported by Verizon. Its hands-on workshops in 18 markets across 109 counties hand out free emergency kits and planning tips, and point people to services such as 211, a 24/7 helpline.
The suggested starting points cost nothing: turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts, pick a contact outside your town, check in with two relatives or neighbors, plan for medications and pets, and photograph your ID, medical cards and insurance papers.
KRC Research ran the online survey from July 20 to August 7, 2026, among 3,700 U.S. adults, including an oversample from West Virginia, Nevada and Arizona.
