The short answer

Prepare first for the interruptions families experience most often: a short power outage, unsafe or unavailable tap water, closed stores, disrupted communication, or the need to leave home quickly. Build around your household’s actual needs for three days, then expand gradually.

Begin with the people, not the products

A useful plan starts with a quiet inventory. Who lives in your home? What does each person need every day? Include prescriptions, mobility or medical equipment, infant supplies, sensory needs, pet care, dietary restrictions, and anything that would become difficult to replace on short notice.

Do this first: Write one page with household members, essential medications, emergency contacts, and the location of shutoffs, extinguishers, documents, and supplies.

01

Water and food you can maintain

Store water and familiar shelf-stable foods in a place you can check and rotate. CDC recommends at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days, with more for pets, hot climates, pregnancy, or illness. Treat three days as a practical starting point rather than a finish line.

  • Commercially bottled water or water stored in food-grade containers
  • Foods your household already eats
  • A manual can opener and simple preparation tools
  • Pet food, feeding supplies, and extra water
  • A dated rotation note you will realistically follow

02

Light, charging, and an outage routine

Put a reliable light where everyone can find it in the dark. Keep charging cables together, maintain power banks, and decide in advance which devices matter most. If anyone depends on powered medical equipment or refrigerated medication, make a specific backup plan with the equipment provider, pharmacy, and appropriate healthcare professionals.

  • One dependable light per household member
  • Spare compatible batteries or charged power banks
  • A car charger and labeled cable kit
  • A safe food and refrigeration plan
  • Battery-powered or battery-backup carbon-monoxide alarms, if using fuel-burning equipment
Generator safety: Never operate a fuel-burning generator inside a home, basement, garage, or other enclosed space. Keep it outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

03

Health, hygiene, and family-specific needs

Gather the ordinary items that become urgent when stores, pharmacies, laundry, or transportation are unavailable. Keep supplies organized by use rather than collecting an oversized “survival” bin no one can navigate.

  • Prescription plan and current medication list
  • First-aid supplies you understand how to use
  • Soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and waste bags
  • Diapers, menstrual products, glasses, hearing supplies, or mobility items
  • Comfort items and quiet activities for children

04

Communication when normal channels fail

Choose an out-of-area contact, write down essential numbers, and decide where household members will meet if they cannot return home. Enable official local alerts, keep a paper copy of the plan, and avoid depending on one person’s phone for the entire plan. During an event, follow current instructions from local emergency-management, public-health, and utility officials.

05

Add food-growing as a long-term layer

A garden is not a substitute for emergency food storage, but it can strengthen everyday household resilience. Start with crops suited to your growing region, season, available sunlight, space, and experience. USDA plant-hardiness zones describe average extreme winter temperatures for perennial plants; use local extension guidance for frost dates and crop timing.

  • Identify your growing zone and typical frost dates
  • Measure daily sunlight in the intended space
  • Choose a small number of foods your family eats
  • Plan for soil, watering, tools, and ongoing care, not seeds alone

The three-day starting checklist

Start here. Improve it next month.

Primary sources

Safety-sensitive details were checked October 12, 2026. These national sources provide a baseline; current instructions from local emergency-management, public-health, and utility officials should take priority during an event.

How Tardigrade Supply researches guidance