Your Home Emergency Preparedness Plan

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A long power outage, a water main failure or a severe winter storm can leave a household without electricity, safe tap water, open stores or reliable phone service for days or weeks. FEMA's Ready campaign recommends every household keep emergency supplies and a family plan. This guide takes that further, so your home can be safe and self-sufficient for an extended period, while keeping the option to leave if staying stops being safe.

Start with the first two weeks, then build toward 30 and 60 days as space and budget allow.

What to plan for

• No electricity for several weeks.
• Tap water that is unsafe to drink, or no water pressure at all.
• Grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations closed.
• Internet and cell service down or unreliable.
• Freezing temperatures that make heat a safety issue.
• Emergency services delayed or overwhelmed.

1. Water comes first

The Ready campaign's baseline is one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation. Plan for more if you have young children, nursing mothers, older relatives, pets or hot weather.

• Use food-grade water containers in a mix of sizes, plus a gravity-fed filter and purification tablets as backups. A filter alone may not remove every germ or chemical.
• Water is heavy, about 8.3 pounds per gallon. Large drums belong on ground floors or basement slabs, not upper floors, unless a professional confirms the load.
• Rotate stored water on a schedule and label containers with the fill date.

2. Food your household will actually eat

Build a pantry around foods your family already likes rather than relying only on survival kits. Plan roughly 2,000 calories per person per day, adjusted for age, size and activity.

• No-cook foods first: canned meats and fish, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, nuts, granola and energy bars, crackers and shelf-stable milk.
• Low-fuel staples next: rice, pasta, oatmeal, dried beans and lentils are useful only if you can safely cook them, so pair them with a safe cooking plan.
• Comfort foods: cereal, pancake mix, hot chocolate and favorite snacks help keep things feeling normal, especially for children.
• Account for allergies, special diets, infant formula and pet food.
• Keep a manual can opener, and rotate stock by using and replacing the oldest items first.

3. Backup power

• Portable battery power stations handle phones, lights, laptops, radios and small devices.
• Solar panels with battery storage can recharge batteries during a long outage.
• A professionally installed standby generator can run selected circuits, possibly including heating equipment.

Before you buy, have a licensed electrician identify your essential loads: furnace blower, sump pump, refrigerator, medical equipment and communications. A large battery doesn't automatically mean it can run a furnace or last for days.

Safety rule: never run a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove or fuel-burning heater inside your home, garage or an enclosed porch. The CDC advises keeping generators outside and at least 20 feet from any window, door or vent. Install battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms on every level.

4. Heat and winter safety

A long outage in January is far more dangerous than one in July. Stock cold-weather sleeping bags and blankets for everyone, thermal layers, wool socks, hats and gloves, window insulation kits and heavy curtains, rechargeable lanterns and headlamps, and an indoor thermometer. Choose one interior room as the family's warm room.

Sleeping bags are not a substitute for safe heat in prolonged freezing weather. If the house can't stay at a safe temperature, have a plan to go to a warming center, a relative's home or another heated place.

5. Medical supplies

• A complete first-aid kit, thermometers, wound-care supplies, gloves, masks, oral rehydration salts and appropriate over-the-counter medicines.
• Ask your doctor and insurer whether you can keep a reserve of prescription medicines, and keep a current medication list.
• If a medicine needs refrigeration or a device needs power, make a specific backup plan with your provider.

6. Sanitation

If water or sewer service fails, toilets, dishwashing and bathing stop working normally. Keep a portable emergency toilet with waste bags and absorbent material, heavy-duty trash bags, gloves, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectant, toilet paper, wet wipes and feminine hygiene supplies. Store waste away from water and food.

7. Communication and important documents

• A battery or hand-crank NOAA weather radio, charged battery banks, flashlights and spare batteries.
• Two-way radios for nearby family, printed maps and a written family contact and meeting plan.
• A three-day "go bag" for each person with clothing, water, food, medicine and essentials.
• Some cash in small bills.

Protect your property and legal papers. Keep copies of IDs and passports, insurance policies, your deed and owner's title policy, mortgage information, your will or trust, powers of attorney for property and health care, and medical records in a waterproof, portable container, with digital copies stored securely. The free Personal Estate Planning Record Book is a good way to organize them. If your estate plan or powers of attorney are missing or out of date, that is worth fixing now; see estate planning.

Review your homeowner's or renter's insurance too: know your deductible, whether you have sewer backup and flood coverage, and how to file a claim.

8. Build it in stages

You don't need to buy everything at once. Cover the first 14 days of water and food, medical needs, lighting, safe heat and communication first, then expand toward 30 and 60 days. Backup power and generators are the largest expense, so get an electrician's assessment before deciding.

Build your own 30-day plan

Answer a few questions and the checklist below adjusts to your household, with target dates for each week. Add your own tasks, check items off as you go, then print or copy your plan. Your plan is saved in this browser.

Being prepared should give your household options, not obligate you to stay in an unsafe home. If conditions turn dangerous, follow official instructions and leave.

General preparedness information based on FEMA Ready campaign and CDC guidance, reviewed October 2026. Not a substitute for advice from emergency officials, your doctor, a licensed electrician or your insurer. Sources: Ready.gov emergency supply list · CDC generator safety.

People. Property. Possibilities. · Schedule a consultation: (312) 809-9766 or 24-hour scheduling (872) 326-9600 · sharakamal.com

By Attorney Shara Kamal. General information for Chicago-area readers; not legal advice for a specific situation.