Prof Easthope described the UK as “light years” behind neighbouring countries when it comes to preparedness.
“Countries like Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, they’ve been good at this for years,” she said.
France advises people to store 72-hours’ worth of food, while the German government says homes should have enough supplies to last for a 10-day period.
“This is one area where I’m very comfortable saying we are playing massive catch-up,” added Easthope.
Awareness campaigns such as “think 72 hours” make a big difference in the US, Australia and “all around Europe”, she said.
However, in the UK, she said disaster messaging often gets parodied, or governments are accused of “panic-mongering”.
“We have seen the pendulum shift” in recent years, she adds, saying that “we are now seeing people recognise this” as an issue that needs tackling.
