Google Trends data shows a sharp spike in searches for emergency essentials in the UK after the government released a new “Be Ready” checklist, urging households to prepare for three days of disruption.
UK government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign
The updated guidance advises people to put together an emergency kit containing the essentials they and their families may need during a short-term incident lasting up to three days. The figures suggest growing public interest in emergency preparedness following the government’s guidance. The UK government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign encourages households to take practical steps to prepare for emergencies that could disrupt everyday life, including flooding, wildfires, power cuts and interruptions to water supplies.
Searches for emergency kits, emergency candles and wind-up radios surged in October, while queries about how to build a bunker also recorded a sharp spike, according to Google Trends data for the UK . Searches for “emergency kit” reached a peak interest score of 100 on October 23, marking a 180% increase compared with the preceding three months and a 450% rise compared with the same period last year, according to Google Trends. The initiative forms part of a three-year drive to improve household emergency preparedness, according to a report by The Independent.
