72 hours ready: a practical guide to emergency preparedness in the Netherlands for internationals (2026)

On 12 October 2026, NL Times reported that more than four in ten people in the Netherlands took steps in the past year to prepare for disasters, from floods and cyberattacks to war. The figure comes from a regular survey that the NCTV (Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism) commissions from the research firm Ipsos I&O. The most common step was putting together an emergency kit with drinking water, cash and batteries. More than half of respondents had done nothing at all.

Since late 2025 the Dutch government has been running a campaign called Denk vooruit ("think ahead"). Its message is simple: make sure your household can manage the first 72 hours on its own if the power, water or internet goes down. Between November 2025 and January 2026 every household received a 33-page booklet explaining how.

If you could not read Dutch, the booklet may have gone straight into the recycling bin. This guide starts from the NL Times report and follows it back to the NCTV, the central government (Rijksoverheid), Rijkswaterstaat (the national water authority), the PBL (the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency) and the EU. It does not speculate about war; it sets out what the authorities recommend. It reflects the situation on 27 October 2026.

1. What is happening: the October 2026 survey and a new campaign phase

The survey behind the headline is not a one-off. The NCTV runs it twice a year, which makes it possible to see how preparedness has moved over time. The trend over the last two years is clearly upward.

What "more than 4 in 10" means

According to NL Times, about 1,500 people took part. More than four in ten had done something in the past year to prepare for risks such as terrorism, war, cyber threats and natural disasters, the highest share since 2022 (NL Times, 12 October 2026). Besides building an emergency kit, people installed antivirus software, used stronger passwords, talked to people around them and looked up what to do in an emergency.

Those who had done nothing said it felt unnecessary, that the risks were small, or that they lacked the time.

The NCTV's own press release, published the same day, phrases it slightly differently: ruim vier op de tien (just over four in ten) took steps to be better prepared for 72 hours without electricity, water and internet, and ruim de helft (just over half) worries about the failure of vital services such as power, water or internet (NCTV, 12 October 2026).

The sample size is reported differently

Sources do not agree on how many people are surveyed. NL Times says about 1,500. The NCTV's description of its Risico- en Crisisbarometer (risk and crisis barometer) says the baseline survey asks 800 people aged 15 and over online (NCTV). For the autumn 2025 round, the NCTV reported 5,873 respondents aged 18 and over. The size may vary by round, and the full October 2026 report was not available to check, so this article uses only the percentage.

Preparedness over time

The share of people who said they had taken action has moved as follows.

The drop in 2024 and steady climb since then line up with the start of the government's public campaign and the booklet (Binnenlands Bestuur, 27 February 2025; NCTV, 25 November 2025).

How many households have a kit? Surveys disagree

A separate question is how many households actually have a noodpakket (emergency kit). Here the numbers depend on who asked.

IamExpat and DutchNews reported the same RTL panel result as 51% and 50% respectively, depending on whether people still assembling a kit were counted (IamExpat, 9 February 2026; DutchNews, 6 February 2026). The government's own survey found 44%, which NL Times headlined as "over half still don't have an emergency kit" (NL Times, 13 April 2026). The safest reading is "roughly half, and rising fast".

The campaign shifts from kits to arrangements

On the same day the survey came out, the government launched a new phase of Denk vooruit. The first phase focused on building a kit. The new one asks different questions (NCTV, 12 October 2026):

• Who looks after the children if extreme weather stops you from getting home?
• Is your power bank charged in case of a nationwide power cut?
• Who needs help if the lift stops working?

Justice and Security Minister Van Weel said preparation usually happens in small steps, such as tuning a radio to the right station or taking out some cash for emergencies.

2. The big picture: who prepares for what

Residents look after themselves and their neighbours for the first 72 hours while municipalities, safety regions and national government scale up.

72 hours is also an EU target

The 72-hour figure is not uniquely Dutch. On 26 March 2025 the European Commission published its Preparedness Union Strategy, with 30 key actions. One of them is guidance to help member states make their populations self-sufficient for at least 72 hours (European Commission). Like Denk vooruit, it takes an "all-hazards" approach: rather than naming one crisis, it prepares for the result, which is that power, water or internet stop.

Who does what

Crisis response is organised through 25 veiligheidsregio's (safety regions). They run the fire service, coordinate emergency medical care (GHOR) and manage disasters. Each region's board is made up of its mayors, with one mayor appointed by royal decree as chair (Rijksoverheid).

If an incident stays within one municipality, the mayor is in charge; if it spreads across several, the safety region's chair takes over. The Hague, Delft and Rijswijk, for example, belong to Veiligheidsregio Haaglanden.

3. What goes in a Dutch emergency kit

This is the practical core. The official list is not long, and the key advice is to check what you already own and buy only what is missing.

The official list

The table groups the items on the Rijksoverheid list and the English Denk vooruit page by purpose (Rijksoverheid; Denk vooruit).

Add medication, baby food, and food and water for pets as needed. Keep everything in a waterproof bag, such as a backpack, somewhere easy to reach, and check contents and expiry dates every six months. Keep a grab bag with keys, ID and cash in the same spot in case you need to leave quickly.

Work out water and cash for your household

Water is 3 litres × 3 days = 9 litres per person, plus extra for pets. Denk vooruit's page on electronic payments gives the cash amounts, based on a Nibud (budget institute) calculation (Denk vooruit).

Keep a mix of notes and coins, in a separate envelope so you do not spend it by accident.

You do not need a ready-made kit

Supermarkets, drugstores and webshops sell pre-packed noodpakketten. The non-profit ACCESS notes that the government advises against buying ready-to-use kits and recommends checking what you already have first (ACCESS). Ready-made kits often duplicate what you own and never include personal items such as prescription medicine.

If cost is a barrier, ask your municipality: in summer 2026 Amsterdam gave 2,000 low-income households a kit with a radio, first-aid kit and whistle via the food bank (DutchNews, 20 May 2026).

The booklet, in your language

The booklet is called Bereid je voor op een noodsituatie ("Prepare for an emergency"). DutchReview reported that it went to more than 8.5 million households and that, from 25 November 2025, versions were available in English, German, Polish, French, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese and Spanish (DutchReview, 18 November 2025). The English edition is on the Denk vooruit site (Prepare for an emergency situation). In the government's own survey, over 90% had seen the booklet, but more than a quarter reportedly did not read it at all (NL Times, 13 April 2026).

4. How warnings reach you: NL-Alert, sirens and regional radio

A kit is only useful if you know what is going on. Dutch public warnings come through three channels: your phone, the sirens, and radio and TV. Weather warnings (code yellow, orange and red) are a separate system run by the KNMI; see our guide to KNMI weather warnings.

NL-Alert

NL-Alert is the government's emergency alert, sent to every phone in an affected area. Each message says what is happening, what to do and where to find more information. Alerts also appear on travel information screens at stations and stops and on digital advertising boards (NL-Alert).

NL-Alert is free and needs no registration. It uses cell broadcast, so it gets through even when networks are congested. Your phone must be on, have reception and have the alert channel enabled (The Hague International Centre). If you brought your phone from abroad, check the emergency alerts setting once.

Test messages go out around noon in June and December. The next one is on Monday 7 December 2026. An optional NL-Alert app exists for people living near the border, whose phones may connect to foreign networks, and for people who find alerts hard to understand. Current and past alerts are listed at actueel.nl-alert.nl.

The sirens: noon on the first Monday

The sirens that wail across the country at noon on the first Monday of each month are a test of the WAS (Waarschuwings- en Alarmeringssysteem, warning and alarm system). They sound continuously for 1 minute and 26 seconds and are never tested on public holidays or on 4 May, Remembrance Day (Rijksoverheid).

If the sirens sound at any other time, treat it as real. ACCESS and The Hague International Centre give the same advice (ACCESS).

The siren itself does not tell you what happened. The basic routine is "go in, close up, tune in". If you do not understand Dutch, ACCESS suggests asking neighbours or people nearby.

Are the sirens being scrapped? It changed in 2026

If you read about the sirens earlier this year, your information may be out of date. On 20 May 2026 IamExpat reported that the cabinet had not funded a replacement and that the WAS would stop from 1 January 2028, with NL-Alert taking over. The network has about 4,200 sirens and has been in use since 1998. In the best case about 75% of people hear the sirens, while NL-Alert reaches about 92% of the population (IamExpat, 20 May 2026).

On 9 June 2026, NOS reported a reversal. In a letter to parliament the minister wrote that NL-Alert is sufficient in peacetime but vulnerable under a serious hybrid or military threat, so a second warning system is needed. The Ministry of Defence will contribute, the regional buttons will be replaced by a single national one, new sound signals will be added and the network will be linked to a defence detection system (NOS, 9 June 2026; DutchReview, 10 June 2026). No completion date has been given. For now, the monthly test continues as before.

In a power cut, use regional radio

During a long power cut, mobile networks can become overloaded within hours and TV may not work. A battery radio tuned to your regional public broadcaster then becomes the main source of information. In a major crisis, regional stations act as the rampenzender (disaster broadcaster) (Denk vooruit).

The English Denk vooruit site lists FM frequencies by transmitter. A few examples (Denk vooruit):

Test your radio once in normal times. Denk vooruit recommends a DAB+ radio that also receives FM.

5. Know the Dutch risks: water, power, cyber and disease

The "Risks in the Netherlands" section of Denk vooruit lists 19 risks, from earthquakes (including those caused by gas extraction in Groningen) and nuclear incidents to wildfires, fuel shortages and disinformation. The ones closest to daily life are outages of water, power, telecoms and payments (Denk vooruit).

Flooding: 26% below sea level

You will often hear that "more than half of the Netherlands is below sea level". That is not quite right. According to the PBL, 26% of the land is below sea level (NAP), and 59% is prone to flooding: 55% inside the dike rings, protected by dunes, dikes and dams, and 4% outside them (PBL). The PBL issued the figures to correct a 2007 IPCC report that said 55% was below sea level. Denk vooruit adds that without flood defences, around 60% of the country would flood regularly.

Flood risk is higher in winter and spring.

To check your own address, use overstroomik.nl ("am I flooding?"). It is run jointly by Rijkswaterstaat, the safety regions, the water boards, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Delta Programme. Enter your address and it shows how high the water could rise near you if the sea, a river or a large lake floods. Denk vooruit's flood advice includes (Denk vooruit):

• Identify a dry upper floor or attic; if you have none, find dry places nearby on overstroomik.nl
• Keep dry blankets and towels to prevent hypothermia
• Know where your gas shut-off valve is
• Check escape routes such as a roof window or ladder in case the front door is blocked
• Probe flooded streets with a stick (peilstok); manhole covers may be missing
• Plan where pets can go

Power cuts: heating, water pressure and mobile networks

In an outage of 72 hours or more, telephone exchanges can go down and mobile networks can fail within a few hours because of overload. Central heating stops, and in flats the water pressure can drop (Denk vooruit). A power cut is not an emergency for 112; report outages to the national number 0800-9009. In cold weather, keep doors and windows closed and heat the smallest room. Unplug appliances so they are not damaged when power returns.

Water outages: emergency supply after 24 hours

Dutch tap water is of high quality and can be stored for your kit if you do it hygienically. If there is no drinking water for more than 24 hours, the water company sets up emergency supply: at least 3 litres per person per day (2 for drinking, 1 for cooking), from tanks at points chosen by the municipality. You must bring your own bottles, pans or jerrycans (Denk vooruit).

If tap water is unsafe, you get an NL-Alert with a kookadvies (boil-water notice): boil water for 3 minutes, let it cool, then use it. Replace stored tap water every six months. To check an outage, see whether your main tap is open, ask neighbours, and look at waterstoring.nl.

Cyber disruption, payments and telecoms

Cyber threats top the list of what residents think is likely: in autumn 2025, 83% rated the likelihood of cyber threats as high or very high (NCTV). Digital preparation is a different kind of kit. Denk vooruit recommends (Cybercriminaliteit; Uitval telecommunicatie):

• Turn on two-step login for email and social media (the DigiHulplijn, 0800 1508, can help)
• Use a different password for each site and a password manager
• Install updates on laptops, tablets and phones
• Back up important files to an external drive regularly
• Write down contact details of key people and services on paper
• Expect that you may not be able to pay by card at the supermarket

The Fraudehelpdesk (088-7867372) takes reports and gives advice on fraud. De Nederlandsche Bank supervises the security of banks' systems, and alternatives such as delayed card payments or QR-code payments are being explored for large terminal outages.

Infectious disease

For outbreaks, Denk vooruit's advice is basic hygiene: stay home when ill, cough into your elbow, wash your hands and ventilate your home. It points to the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) for details (Denk vooruit; RIVM). A thermometer, face masks and a spare supply of regular medication are sensible additions to your kit.

6. What renters can do

Most internationals rent, often a flat. You cannot build a storeroom, but you can still prepare well.

Storage in a small home

Buy water by the crate, drink the oldest first and replace what you use. That way nothing expires unnoticed.

Check your home's safety features

Since 1 July 2022, every floor with a living room, bedroom or kitchen must have a smoke alarm. In a rented home the landlord must make sure they are there, although tenants may be asked to test them or change batteries; alarms must be replaced every ten years (Rijksoverheid; Brandweer). Xpat.nl also suggests a fire blanket for the kitchen (Xpat.nl).

Find your gas valve, main water tap (usually in the meterkast, the meter cupboard) and fuse box. In flats, a power cut can stop the pump that brings water to upper floors, so people living high up should store a little more water. Ask your building manager or VvE (owners' association) whether there is an emergency contact list for residents.

7. Pets, children and medication

The official list is short, so much of the work is adding what your household needs.

With children, the most useful arrangement is the one the new campaign asks about: who picks them up if bad weather keeps you from getting home? Agree on a backup and tell the school or after-school care (BSO). The monthly siren test is a calm moment to explain to children that it is just an equipment check.

Ask your huisarts (GP) for repeat prescriptions before you run low, and ask the pharmacy for a medicatieoverzicht (medication overview) to keep with your kit.

8. Common pitfalls and misconceptions

Most of these are easy to fix once you know about them.

Old and new information get mixed up

Reports on the sirens flipped between May 2026 (scrapped in 2028) and June 2026 (kept and renewed). Kit ownership figures range from 44% to 51% depending on the survey. Always check the date of what you read and confirm current arrangements on official sites.

9. Being a foreign resident: embassy, language and family abroad

On top of what every resident does, internationals have a few extra things to arrange.

Register with your embassy

Many countries run a registration or travel-alert service so their embassy can reach citizens in a crisis. For some nationalities, registering after a certain length of stay abroad is a legal obligation; for others it is voluntary. The Hague International Centre notes that the city hosts more than 100 embassies and links to the government's overview of foreign representations (The Hague International Centre; Government.nl).

If relatives visit you or pass through the Netherlands, suggest they register with their own country's traveller service too.

Language

The booklet exists in eight languages besides Dutch, but NL-Alert messages and regional radio are in Dutch. Install a translation app with camera translation so you can read an alert on the spot, and note that 112 operators commonly also speak English (Expatica). Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers can use the 112NL app or text.

Family abroad

If an outage or flood here makes international news, relatives abroad may worry when they cannot reach you. Tell them in advance:

• "We follow the Dutch government's 72-hour advice."
• "If my phone is unreachable, it is most likely network overload, not danger."
• "If you cannot reach me, contact this friend or neighbour here."
• "I am registered with the embassy."

Agreeing on a fixed time for a short check-in helps once networks come back.

10. Your action list for this week

None of this needs to happen in one day.

1. Enter your address on overstroomik.nl and note your flood scenario and nearest dry place
2. Check that emergency alerts (NL-Alert) are enabled on your phone
3. Find your regional station's FM frequency (Omroep West 89.3 MHz in The Hague) and test your radio
4. Compare what you own with the official list and write down only what is missing
5. Set aside water (9 litres per person) and cash (€70 per adult, €30 per child)
6. Get a spare supply of regular medication and a medicatieoverzicht from your pharmacy
7. Agree with your household on a meeting point and who picks up the children
8. Register or update your details with your embassy
9. Tell family abroad what you have arranged
10. Put a six-month check in your calendar

11. Three example households (fictional)

The following people are invented to show how the advice changes with circumstances.

A, single professional, fourth-floor flat in Amsterdam

A rarely keeps food or cash at home. A buys 9 litres of water plus extra (upper floors can lose water pressure), nuts and tins, €70 in cash, a radio and a power bank, and updates their embassy registration after a recent move.

B, family of four, terraced house in The Hague

overstroomik.nl shows low flood exposure for B's address, but the family still prepares for power and water outages: 36 litres of water, €200 in cash, and snacks and card games for the children. Both parents commute, so they arrange that a neighbour collects the children if weather keeps them away, and tell the school.

C, student in a shared house in Rotterdam

C has little space and no wish to hoard. The housemates agree to share water, tins and one radio on a common shelf. C keeps €70, regular medication, a power bank and ID copies in a backpack, and registers with their embassy for the year abroad.

12. What not to do

Overdoing it is as unhelpful as doing nothing.

When something happens, check official sources first: NL-Alert, regional radio, your safety region and municipality, and crisis.nl.

13. Six-monthly checklist

The switch to summer and winter time, at the end of March and October, makes a handy reminder.

• Water: at least 9 litres per person, within date
• Long-life food for 3 days, within date
• Cash: €70 per adult, €30 per child, in notes and coins
• Radio batteries work; station frequency written down
• Power bank charged
• Torch and batteries, first-aid kit, blankets, whistle
• Spare medication and medication list
• Supplies for pets and children
• ID copies and contact list on paper
• Smoke alarms work
• Embassy details up to date; family abroad informed

14. Summary

• In October 2026, more than four in ten residents had prepared in the past year, but more than half had done nothing
• The official goal is to manage 72 hours at home: 3 litres of water per person per day and about €70 per adult and €30 per child in cash
• You do not need a ready-made kit; check what you have and fill the gaps
• Warnings come via NL-Alert, the monthly-tested sirens and regional radio; the sirens were saved from abolition in June 2026
• The Dutch risks to plan for are flooding, power cuts, water outages and cyber disruption; 26% of the land is below sea level and 59% is flood-prone
• As an international, register with your embassy and agree with family abroad what happens if they cannot reach you

Sources

Dutch government and public bodies

• New Denk vooruit campaign — NCTV: October 2026 survey and campaign
• Risico- en Crisisbarometer — NCTV: survey method
• Autumn 2025 barometer — NCTV: 35%, 5,873 respondents
• Wat zit er in een noodpakket? — Rijksoverheid: kit list and checks
• When are the sirens tested? — Rijksoverheid: test schedule
• Safety regions — Rijksoverheid: 25 regions and roles
• Smoke alarms — Rijksoverheid: legal requirement
• Rookmelders — Brandweer: start date and landlord duty
• Denk vooruit (English): the three steps
• Putting together an emergency kit — Denk vooruit: English kit list
• Your radio station — Denk vooruit: regional FM frequencies
• Risks in the Netherlands — Denk vooruit: 19 risks
• Flooding — Denk vooruit: flood advice
• Power cut — Denk vooruit: what fails, 0800-9009
• Drinking water — Denk vooruit: emergency supply and boiling
• Electronic payments — Denk vooruit: cash amounts
• Cybercrime — Denk vooruit: digital advice
• Telecom outage — Denk vooruit: offline preparation
• Infectious disease — Denk vooruit: hygiene advice
• Prepare for an emergency situation — Denk vooruit: English booklet
• NL-Alert and current alerts: how it works, next test
• overstroomik.nl: flood check by address
• waterstoring.nl: water outages
• Flood risk correction — PBL: 26% and 59%
• RIVM: public health
• Crisis.nl: official crisis information
• Embassies overview — Government.nl: find your embassy

EU

• EU Preparedness Union Strategy — European Commission: 72-hour self-sufficiency goal

Media for internationals and news

• More than 4 in 10 Dutch took steps to prepare — NL Times: starting point
• Over half of Dutch still don't have an emergency kit — NL Times: 44% survey
• 51 percent of households have home emergency kits — IamExpat: RTL survey
• Monthly air raid sirens to stop from 2028 — IamExpat: May 2026 plan
• Half Dutch households now have an emergency kit — DutchNews: RTL survey
• Amsterdam issues 2000 emergency supply kits — DutchNews: kits for low-income households
• Dutch households to receive emergency booklet — DutchReview: booklet and languages
• Dutch monthly alarm sirens are here to stay — DutchReview: new siren system
• Luchtalarm blijft toch bestaan — NOS: June 2026 reversal
• Kwart Nederlanders beter voorbereid — Binnenlands Bestuur: 2022–2024 trend
• Emergency package — ACCESS: advice on ready-made kits
• What to do when I hear the sirens? — ACCESS: siren response
• Emergency services in the Netherlands — Expatica: 112 and helplines
• Safety in the Netherlands — Xpat.nl: smoke alarms and fire safety
• Emergencies and help lines — The Hague International Centre: NL-Alert, sirens, embassies

All sources were checked on 27 October 2026. Recommendations, warning systems and survey figures can change, so check Denk vooruit, NL-Alert and your embassy for the latest information before you act.

Original article

More than 4 in 10 Dutch took steps to prepare for disasters, such as war, last year — NL Times