How to prepare your family for a storm
Work in this order: water, food, medicine, power and light, information, then documents — with a section just for babies and toddlers.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
How much water should a family store?
The FEMA minimum, by family size and days — and what to do about the part that will not fit.
If the grid goes down: what a family actually needs
The first three days and the second week are different problems. Plan for both, in stages.
Every guide ends in the same place: your household's own figures, for 3 days to 90.
Open the calculator