Everyday preparedness starts at home

A power outage does not have to become a household emergency—or an expensive trip to replace everything in the refrigerator.

Being prepared does not require becoming a “prepper,” building a bunker, or buying years of supplies. A few practical steps can help your family stay fed, comfortable, and connected when everyday services are interrupted.

Power outages, severe weather, flooding, heat, and winter conditions can interrupt everyday services. Your local hazards will vary, but preparing can begin with things your household already uses.

Start with food and water

Build a small reserve of food your household already eats. Add a few extra items during regular grocery trips, use the oldest first, and replace them as you go. Include meals that require little preparation, a manual can opener, and food for pets.

CDC recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days, with a two-week supply if possible. Allow extra for pets and additional needs during hot weather. For two people, a three-day starting supply is six gallons.

Households using electric well pumps should consider how they would obtain water during an outage.

When the tap stops: make your water plan ↗

Plan dinner without electricity ↗

Protect your groceries and your budget

A refrigerator or freezer can hold a substantial investment in food. An inexpensive appliance thermometer, a cooler, and frozen ice packs can help protect it.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed during an outage. Approximate holding times with doors closed are four hours for a refrigerator, 48 hours for a full freezer, and 24 hours for a half-full freezer.

Have a plan to move refrigerated perishables into a cooler with enough ice to keep them at 40°F or below before they become unsafe. Never taste food to determine whether it is safe. Find detailed guidance at FoodSafety.gov.

Plan portable power for your essentials ↗

Have somewhere comfortable to stay

Shelter preparedness starts at home: blankets, suitable clothing, flashlights, and a plan for staying elsewhere if the house becomes too hot, too cold, or otherwise unsafe.

Talk with family or friends before you need help. Include pets, transportation, medications, and anyone who needs assistance. Remember that many fuel-burning furnaces still need electricity for their controls and blowers.

When staying home stops making sense: plan your departure ↗

Make a simple plan to keep in touch

Keep phones charged, check the charging cables, and write down important numbers. Agree on how household members will check in, a meeting place, and a willing out-of-area contact.

Sign up for official local alerts. A battery-powered AM/FM receiver or NOAA Weather Radio where coverage is available can provide another information source. Test useful local reception before depending on it.

Talk with a nearby person about checking on each other. Confirm what each of you can offer and what to try if the first contact method fails.

Two-way radios are another option if they suit your household or interests. Our communications guide explains those choices, starting with the people you want to reach.

Useful skills build on each other

Preparing a familiar meal, making a small repair, reading a map, or learning what a battery can actually power can all make ordinary life easier. Choose something connected to a job you want to do, with instruction suited to the task.

You can learn from a neighbor, a class, a library workshop, a guild, or a club. There is room to begin with a button, a loaf of bread, or a charging cable that finally works. Our guide to useful training offers places to ask.

For larger backup-power needs, work out the complete arrangement before buying equipment. Follow the safety guidance in our portable-power guide, including generator placement, suitable connections, and carbon monoxide precautions.

Take one useful step

Check your stored water. Locate an appliance thermometer. Test a light or charging cable. Talk with a neighbor. Choose something useful that fits your circumstances.

Practical preparedness can protect your groceries, reduce last-minute expenses, and make an inconvenient day easier to manage. The skills you learn for one disruption can help with the next.

Try it before you need it: practice one part of your plan ↗

J. Carter