What we collect, and what we never do.
Brace For It is free and has no account wall. To learn which tools help people and what to build next, we keep a small, anonymous record of how the site is used. Effective October 19, 2026; updated the same day for the guide tools and to name the readiness score, and again for the rebuilt tool pages.
What we collect now
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Pages and ZIP codes viewed, and the status shown | To see which places and conditions bring people here |
| Steps you mark done, skip or undo, your answers to "Your home" and the checks (for example, which flood zone category you picked), and the readiness score those add up to | To learn which steps people actually take, so the list gets better |
| Links you open from a step, time on the page, and whether you saved your progress link | To see what's useful and what's ignored |
| Which guide tools you use and the kind of action (for example "calculated a start date," "printed the kit list," "found the gas shutoff," "answered no" in the policy gap check, without which question), and the number of days you chose in the kit builder | To see which guides help and which go unused. What you type into a guide (like where your shutoffs are) stays on your device and is never sent |
| ZIP codes you ask for that aren't live yet | To decide where to launch next |
| Anything you type in "What do you wish this did?" | To find tools people want that don't exist yet |
| A random ID stored in your browser, phone or computer type (mobile or desktop), and the website that sent you | To count visits without knowing who you are |
What we never collect or keep
- Your name, email or phone, unless you choose to give them to us in the future.
- Your street address or location. If you use the flood lookup, your address (or your phone's location, if you tap "use my location") goes to our server once, which asks the U.S. Census Bureau where it is and FEMA which flood zone that spot is in. We don't save, log or cache it; only the zone category (high, moderate or minimal) is kept with your answers.
- Your IP address.
- Third-party advertising trackers or cookies. We don't sell your personal information.
Where it lives
Your progress, home answers, guide checklists, policy-check answers and notes, and the random ID are stored in your own browser. The usage record is stored in Brace For It's own database on Cloudflare. Clearing your browser's site data removes what's on your device.
Do Not Track
If your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, the site doesn't send any usage record at all. Everything else still works.
Coming later
Optional sign-in to sync your progress across devices and get storm and maintenance reminders, and optional offers from local partners such as arborists and HVAC companies. Each will need your clear opt-in, and this page and a full privacy policy will be updated before either starts.
Questions or deletion requests
Email [email protected]. Brace For It is run by Carey Creative Enterprises.