03/16/2026
Emergency preparedness gut check - how full is your tank? ⛽
Fast break-field trip time: Pop out to your vehicle and check the gas gauge. Is it above or below half? 🚗
No judgement if it is under half, it happens to all of us. The goal is to get to the point where we are keeping our tanks at least half-full, all the time. Here's why:
• Power outages. Refueling options are limited during power outages.
• No-notice evacuation. If you need to evacuate, it is one less stop you have to make.
• Evacuation traffic. If you get stuck in traffic during your evacuation, you will be okay on a half tank for a while.
• Regular traffic turned major traffic incident. Traffic incidents happen any day. Accidents, jackknifed semis, road construction, hazmat spills can close the highway for 30, 60, 90 minutes or more. Being stuck in traffic will be frustrating, but with a half tank, it won't be as stressful.
• Emergencies. You never know when you need to make an unexpected trip to pick up a family member, to urgent care, or any number of situations.
Making emergency preparedness part of our everyday is key. Emergencies can happen any time – let’s all get in the habit of keeping our gas tanks half-full.
⭐Bonus⭐ Not only is keeping your tank above half a great emergency prep task, it also helps maintain your vehicle's fuel system efficiency, possibly extending the life of your fuel pump and other components.
Photo: Vehicle dashboard (instrument panel) displaying the fuel gauge and other indicators and controls.