Emergency Supplies Every Household Should Keep on Hand

Emergency preparedness can easily turn into shopping for things you may never use.

That is not the goal.

A good household emergency supply kit should help you handle a temporary loss of the things you normally depend on:

Water.

Electricity.

Food.

Communication.

Transportation.

Medical access.

The most useful supplies are not necessarily the most unusual ones.

They are the things that help your household stay safe and functional when normal systems stop working.

FEMA recommends keeping basic emergency supplies on hand for several days and adjusting the contents for the specific needs of your household, including pets.

The easiest way to build your supplies is to work through the major household needs one at a time.

Start With Water

Water belongs near the top of the list.

The CDC recommends storing at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. More may be needed for pets, hot weather, medical needs, or other special circumstances.

For a household of four, that basic three-day amount is:

4 people × 3 days × 1 gallon = 12 gallons

For seven days:

4 people × 7 days × 1 gallon = 28 gallons

Those numbers can feel large, which is why we recommend building gradually rather than waiting until you can create the perfect water supply.

Start with three days.

Then work toward seven.

Then add more if your space and circumstances allow.

And remember that storage is only the first part of a water plan.

You should also know how you would treat another source if necessary and how you would replenish your supply if stored water began to run low.

Emergency Water Preparedness: A 3-Layer Plan to Store, Treat, and Replenish Water.

Keep Shelf-Stable Food You Will Actually Eat

Emergency food does not have to be specialized survival food.

Start with ordinary foods your household already uses that:

Store well
Require little preparation
Do not depend on refrigeration
Can be eaten with limited cooking
Fit any dietary or medical needs in your household

Examples might include:

Canned meats and fish
Beans
Canned vegetables and fruit
Peanut or other nut butter
Crackers
Oatmeal
Protein bars
Nuts
Dried fruit
Shelf-stable milk
Ready-to-eat soups
Other familiar shelf-stable foods

If you store canned food, keep a manual can opener with the supplies.

That is a small item that becomes surprisingly important when electricity is unavailable.

Plan for Refrigeration to Stop Working

Food in the refrigerator should not be treated as long-term emergency food.

A refrigerator generally keeps food safely cold for about 4 hours without power if the door stays closed.

A full freezer can maintain temperature for about 48 hours, while a half-full freezer is closer to 24 hours.

Useful supplies can include:

Appliance thermometers
Coolers
Frozen gel packs
Containers of frozen water
Shelf-stable foods that do not need refrigeration

The longer an outage continues, the less you should depend on the refrigerator.

Have Reliable Emergency Lighting

A power outage becomes much easier to manage when you can see what you are doing.

Useful options include:

Flashlights
Headlamps
Battery-powered lanterns
Extra batteries
Rechargeable lighting
Small battery banks

CDC specifically recommends emergency lighting and extra batteries as part of outage preparation.

Headlamps are especially useful because they leave both hands free.

Try to keep lighting in more than one location rather than storing every flashlight in the same drawer.

Keep a Way to Charge Important Devices

Phones have become one of the most useful emergency tools in the home.

They provide:

Communication
Weather information
Emergency alerts
Maps
Flashlights
Contact information
Internet access when networks are available

Useful backup charging supplies may include:

Portable power banks
Car chargers
Charging cables
USB adapters
A larger portable power station if appropriate

The CDC provides a fundamental checklist of power sources that includes power banks, vehicle chargers, and other backup power sources among recommended outage-preparation items.

Don't forget to keep the correct cables with the equipment.

A fully charged battery bank is not very helpful if the cable you need is missing.

Have More Than One Way to Receive Emergency Information

Your phone is useful, but it should not be your only source of information.

FEMA recommends a battery-powered or hand-crank radio capable of receiving NOAA Weather Radio alerts as part of a basic emergency supply kit.

Consider keeping:

Battery-powered radio
Hand-crank radio
NOAA Weather Radio
Extra batteries
Local emergency numbers
Utility contact information

If one communication system fails, another may still work.

Build a Practical First Aid Kit

Every household should have basic first aid supplies.

A practical kit may include:

Adhesive bandages
Sterile gauze
Medical tape
Antiseptic supplies
Disposable gloves
Thermometer
Tweezers
Scissors
Basic over-the-counter medicines you normally use

The exact contents should reflect your household's needs.

A kit is more useful when you know what is in it and how to use it.

Don't Forget Prescription Medications

For many households, medications are more important than almost anything else in the emergency bin.

You may need to plan ahead for:

Prescription medicines
Medical devices
Eyeglasses
Hearing aids
Contact lenses and supplies
Asthma inhalers
Blood glucose equipment
Other necessary medical supplies

Keep an up-to-date medication list that includes:

Medication name
Dose
How often it is taken
Prescribing provider
Pharmacy information
Important allergies

If a medication requires refrigeration, include that in your backup-power planning.

Include Basic Sanitation Supplies

Running water and normal plumbing are easy to take for granted.

Useful household sanitation supplies may include:

Toilet paper
Soap
Hand sanitizer
Moist wipes
Garbage bags
Plastic ties
Disposable gloves
Feminine hygiene supplies
Diapers when needed
Basic cleaning products

These supplies are inexpensive, easy to overlook, and extremely useful when normal services are disrupted.

Keep Some Basic Tools Nearby

You do not need a workshop inside your emergency kit.

A few simple tools can help.

Consider:

Pliers
Adjustable wrench
Screwdrivers
Utility knife
Work gloves
Duct tape
Heavy-duty extension cords if part of your power plan
Multi-tool
Basic repair supplies

It's also a good idea to include a non-sparking wrench or pliers for shutting off utilities when appropriate.

You should also know where your utility shutoffs are and understand when they should—or should not—be used.

Keep a Fire Extinguisher Accessible

A working (non-expired) fire extinguisher is another import safety item for a basic emergency-kit.

Having one is only part of the plan.

Make sure household members who may need to use it know:

Where it is
What type it is
How to operate it
When leaving the building is safer than trying to fight a fire

Do not bury the extinguisher behind boxes in a closet.

Emergency equipment should be easy to reach.

Keep Important Information Outside Your Phone

Many of us store almost everything on our phones.

That creates a problem when the phone is lost, damaged, or out of power.

Keep a printed or otherwise accessible record of important information such as:

Emergency contacts
Insurance information
Medical information
Medication lists
Utility numbers
Veterinarian information
School or workplace contacts

It's also a good idea to gather important paperwork and identification as part of your emergency preparation plan.

Be sure to store sensitive information securely.

Keep Some Emergency Cash

Electronic payments depend on electricity and communications.

During a widespread outage, credit-card terminals or ATMs may not work normally.

A modest amount of emergency cash gives you another option.

Keep it in a secure location and consider including smaller bills.

You do not need to keep a large amount of money in an emergency kit.

The goal is simply to avoid being completely dependent on electronic payment systems.

Think About Warmth and Weather

Emergency supplies should reflect your climate.

For cold weather, consider:

Blankets
Sleeping bags
Warm clothing
Hats
Gloves
Extra socks

For hot weather, useful items may include:

Battery-powered fans
Extra drinking water
Lightweight clothing
Sun protection

Climate should influence your kit more than a generic checklist does.

Include Supplies for Children, Older Adults, and Special Needs

The emergency kit should fit the people who actually live in the home.

That may mean adding:

Infant formula
Bottles
Diapers
Specialized food
Mobility aids
Hearing-aid batteries
Medical equipment
Comfort items
Care instructions

An effective preparation plan is built around personal medical and daily-living needs rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all kit.

Ask:

Who in our household would have the hardest time if stores, electricity, water, or transportation were unavailable?

Make sure the kit addresses that person's needs first.

Don't Forget Pets

Pets depend on the same household systems you do.

Include:

Food
Water
Medications
Leash or harness
Carrier
Waste supplies
Identification
Veterinary information

Pets and service animals are important parts of many households. It's important to adapt your emergency kits to include them.

Also: Don't forget to include your pet's water when you calculate your household water needs.

Keep a Portable Version of the Essentials

Your main emergency supplies may be stored at home.

But some situations require leaving.

FEMA recommends considering a full kit at home and smaller portable kits for places such as vehicles and workplaces.

A portable kit might include:

Water
Snacks
Flashlight
Power bank
Basic first aid supplies
Necessary medications
Copies of important information
Emergency cash
Warm layer
Basic hygiene supplies

You do not need to duplicate everything.

Focus on what you would most need if you had to leave quickly.

Don't Buy Everything at Once

A long emergency-supply list can feel expensive.

There is no reason to build it all in one shopping trip.

Start with the highest priorities:

Water

Food

Lighting

Medications

Basic first aid

Communication

Then add other items gradually.

You may already own much of what you need.

Preparedness often begins with organizing what you already have rather than buying something new.

Store Supplies Where You Can Actually Reach Them

An emergency kit should not disappear into deep storage.

Keep supplies somewhere:

Accessible
Dry
Protected from temperature extremes when appropriate
Known to other household members

Avoid putting everything in one location if that creates a single point of failure.

For example, keeping every flashlight, battery, and power bank in one basement cabinet may not help if the basement becomes inaccessible.

Check Your Supplies Regularly

Emergency supplies are not something you assemble once and forget.

At least periodically, check:

Water rotation dates
Food expiration dates
Batteries
Power-bank charge
Medication changes
Clothing sizes
Pet needs
Contact information
First aid supplies

Replace what has expired or changed.

Test equipment occasionally.

An emergency is a bad time to discover that the flashlight batteries leaked or the power bank has been empty for a year.

A Simple Household Emergency Supply Checklist

Your basic supply plan might include:

Water

Stored drinking water
Containers
Treatment method

Food

Several days of shelf-stable food
Manual can opener

Light and power

Flashlights
Headlamps or lanterns
Extra batteries
Power banks
Charging cables

Communication

Emergency radio
Printed contacts
Local alert information

Health

First aid kit
Prescription medicines
Medical supplies
Necessary medical devices

Sanitation

Soap
Hand sanitizer
Toilet paper
Wipes
Garbage bags

Household safety

Fire extinguisher
Basic tools
Work gloves

Personal needs

Clothing
Blankets
Infant supplies
Pet supplies
Specialty items

Information and money

Important documents
Emergency contacts
Cash

That is enough to build a strong foundation.

You can add specialized equipment later if your household actually needs it.

Supplies Work Best When They Are Part of a Plan

A pile of emergency gear is not the same thing as being prepared.

You also need to know:

Where the supplies are.

Who needs what.

How you will communicate.

What you will do if the power stays off.

How long your water will last.

Whether you would stay home or leave.

That is why the supply kit should support your broader household plan rather than replace it.

If you have not built that plan yet, take a look at:

Home emergency preparedness: A practical plan for the first 7 days.

The Next Step: Make Sure Everyone Knows the Plan

Once you have the basic supplies, the next question is whether everyone in the household knows what to do.

Where would you meet?

Who would you contact?

What if family members were separated?

What if cellular service was unavailable?

A simple communication plan can answer those questions before an emergency happens.

How to build a simple household emergency communication plan.

You do not need a garage full of emergency gear.

You need the right basic supplies, organized around the real needs of your household, and a plan for how to use them.