Power Outage Preparedness: 72-Hour Food, Water and Supply List

Page updated Oct 9, 2026

Start with water, ready-to-eat food, light, and a way to get updates. A three-day power outage kit lets you stay home with less stress when a winter storm, wind event, or equipment failure shuts off electricity. Keep the kit in one easy-to-reach place and check it before bad weather arrives.

What should you buy for a 72-hour power outage?

Build your kit around the things you need whether the outage lasts one night or three days: drinking water, food you can eat without cooking, light, basic first aid, and communication. The Lone Star emergency checklist includes water, a nonperishable snack, a first-aid kit, flashlight, extra batteries, medications, cash, and emergency contact information.

Need	Put in your kit	Why it matters
Water	Stored drinking water for every person and pet	Drinking, simple meals, brushing teeth, and limited hygiene
Food	Three days of shelf-stable, ready-to-eat food	You may not have refrigeration or a safe way to cook
Light	Flashlights, lanterns, and matching spare batteries	Lets you move around and handle tasks after dark
Updates	Battery-powered radio and charged phone power bank	Helps you follow local alerts and outage information
Health items	First-aid kit, needed medicines, and personal supplies	Keeps routine needs close at hand
Sanitation	Soap, wipes, trash bags, toilet paper, and household water	Gives you a workable plan if water service changes
Warmth	Layers, blankets, and sleeping bags	Useful when a winter outage lowers indoor temperatures

Keep a written contact list with the kit. If your home relies on a sump pump, make a separate plan before the storm with this guide to sump-pump backup options.

How much water do you need for three days?

Plan for at least 1 gallon per person per day. The CDC emergency water guidance sets that minimum for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and other uses, which means 3 gallons per person for 72 hours. The CDC says to store more for pets, hot weather, pregnancy, and people who are sick.

Household size	Minimum for 3 days
1 person	3 gallons
2 people	6 gallons
4 people	12 gallons
4 people plus pets	12 gallons, plus water for pets

Unopened bottled water is the CDC’s safest, most reliable emergency option. If you fill containers yourself, use food-grade containers with tight lids, label them as drinking water, store them away from sunlight and chemicals, and replace the water every six months. The CDC also gives the steps for cleaning and sanitizing containers.

Why fill a bathtub before a snowstorm?

Fill the bathtub when a storm could interrupt water service or when your home uses an electric well pump. The water gives you a reserve for washing, cleaning dishes, and flushing the toilet. It is not your drinking-water supply.

Keep drinking water in sealed bottles or properly stored containers. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission says pool and spa water are not for drinking, though they can be used for flushing or washing. A full bathtub serves the same practical purpose: it protects your limited stored drinking water for drinking and food.

Can you flush the toilet when the power is out?

You may be able to flush if your home still has running water and the sewer system is working. A bathtub reserve can help when you need water for flushing. If your water supply depends on an electric pump, assume that stored water will matter quickly. Put a toilet plan on your checklist instead of waiting to figure it out in the dark.

For a longer disruption, the Portland Water Bureau advises households to plan for water and sanitation together. Its preparedness guidance starts with stored water and reminds households to make a toilet plan as they build the rest of their kit.

What food should you keep for a winter outage?

Choose food you can eat cold, open with a manual can opener, and rotate into normal meals. Buy foods your household already eats. That makes your supply easier to use and replace.

A practical top 10 survival-food list

Ready-to-eat canned beans
Canned meat or fish
Canned fruit
Canned vegetables
Nut butter
Crackers
Granola or protein bars
Dried fruit
Trail mix
Shelf-stable meals that do not require refrigeration

Add baby food, pet food, and foods that match your household’s usual needs. The Pennsylvania emergency-kit checklist calls for enough nonperishable food, while the Lone Star checklist specifically includes a nonperishable or easy-open canned snack. Keep a manual can opener with the food, not in a separate kitchen drawer.

Do not build your plan around the refrigerator. Keep its door closed during an outage, and use this refrigerator and freezer food-safety guide to decide what to keep after power returns. A written food decision record sheet can make that call easier when you are tired or distracted.

How do you get through three days without electricity?

Use a simple order of operations. Deal with water and communications first, then food, warmth, sanitation, and the house itself.

Before the storm: Charge phones and power banks. Test lights. Fill stored-water containers and the bathtub if a water interruption is possible. Bring vehicles to a useful fuel level.
At the start of the outage: Use flashlights, keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut, and follow local updates on a battery-powered radio or phone.
For the next 72 hours: Use stored water first, eat your ready-to-eat food, conserve phone battery, and use only the rooms you need.
After power returns: Restock food, batteries, water, and any supplies you used. Recharge power banks while the outage is still fresh in your mind.

For homes using a generator, follow the safety details in this generator safety guide. If you are considering battery or panel backup for future outages, start with solar emergency power basics so you can match your plan to the loads you actually need.

Before the next outage, check these four things

Count people and pets, then store at least three days of drinking water.
Open every flashlight and confirm you have the right batteries.
Place a manual can opener, radio, first-aid kit, and written contacts with your food.
Decide now how you will handle toilet flushing, food storage, and any equipment that needs electricity.

A 72-hour kit is a starting point, not a finish line. Portland Water Bureau recommends building toward 14 gallons per person for a two-week water reserve, while the CDC’s three-day minimum gives you a clear first target.

By ThePreppersBlueprint.com Editorial Team