For 3- and 14-day water and calorie totals, including pets, use the 3- and 14-day supply calculator.
Print this page and tick what you already have. Quantities are for a family of four unless a line says otherwise. Water uses the official 1 gallon per person per day planning rule from Ready.gov and the Red Cross. Food uses a planning assumption of 2,000 calories per person per day, the general figure on U.S. Nutrition Facts labels (FDA). Needs vary by age and activity; see the USDA ranges.
For the written family plan, see Family plan and checklists. Product links for items on a household emergency-prep list (plain links to several stores, not affiliate links) are on Emergency prep supplies: where to buy.
Household size
| 4 people | |
|---|---|
| Water, 3 days | 12 gallons |
| Water, 14 days | 56 gallons |
| Food at 2,000 kcal/person/day, 3 days | 24,000 calories |
| Food at 2,000 kcal/person/day, 14 days | 112,000 calories |
Add water for each pet (the 3- and 14-day calculator works it out for you), and more in extreme heat (Ready.gov notes that needs can double).
3-day layer (go-bag and home)
- Water in the amounts above, including some sealed bottles in the bags
- 3 days of familiar, ready-to-eat meals and snacks the household will actually eat
- Manual can opener
- Infant formula, baby food, and diapers if needed (ready-to-feed formula if water quality may be uncertain)
- Pet food, water, leash or carrier, and medicines
- A 14-day supply of prescription medicines, plus a written list of doses and allergies
- Spare glasses or contact supplies; hearing-aid or device batteries
- First-aid kit
- Flashlight or headlamp for each person, plus spare batteries
- Charged power bank for each person who relies on a phone (see capacities on Power and lighting), with the correct cables
- Battery or hand-crank radio that can receive NOAA Weather Radio
- Important numbers on paper; document pouch; some cash in small bills
- Change of clothes, spare socks, rain gear, and sturdy shoes for each person
- Hygiene items, wipes, soap or sanitizer, menstrual or incontinence supplies
- Lightweight blankets or emergency blankets
- Whistle, work gloves, and a dust mask or respirator
- Comfort item and activities for children
14 days at home (in addition to the 3-day layer)
- Water in the 14-day amounts above, in original bottles or food-grade containers, dated
- 14 days of familiar shelf-stable meals, rotated first-in, first-out
- Optional check: daily calories in those meals compared with the 2,000-calorie planning figure and the USDA ranges for each person
- Pet food and water for 14 days
- Hygiene and sanitation supplies for 14 days (toilet bags, bucket with a lid, unscented bleach, soap, toilet paper, wipes)
- Extra batteries; power banks kept on a charging routine
- Generator fuel, if you have a generator, stored legally, with a written list of loads you will actually run
- Blankets or sleeping bags for everyone; a heat and cooling plan
- Fire extinguisher; smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested
- Plastic sheeting, tape, and a utility shutoff tool if appropriate
Review when the clocks change (March and November)
- Water dates and quantities still match the household size
- Food dates; children’s clothes in the bags still fit; seasonal clothes swapped
- Medicines and batteries in date; power banks charged
- Documents and insurance numbers updated; some cash still in the pouch
- Alert sign-ups still work; new phones included
- Pet records and microchip registration current
- Walk through the fire exits and the 5-/10-/30-minute evacuation list once