Food & supplies

The goal: eat normally for two weeks

Emergency food doesn't have to be special food. The most useful supply is an extra stock of shelf-stable things your household already eats, kept in rotation so nothing goes to waste.

Start with 3 days of food that needs no cooking or refrigeration, then build toward 2 weeks. Adding a few extra items on each regular shopping trip spreads the cost.

What to stock

• Canned meats, fish and beans for protein. Pull-tab lids save needing an opener.
• Canned fruits and vegetables. Their liquid also counts toward water.
• Peanut butter, nuts, trail mix and protein bars: calorie-dense and need no cooking.
• Whole-grain crackers, cereal, oats, rice and pasta (the last two need water and heat).
• Shelf-stable milk, powdered milk and juice boxes.
• Comfort foods. Familiar snacks, coffee and tea make a hard week easier, especially for children.

Plan for everyone in the household

• Infants: formula, bottles, and safe water to mix it with (ready-to-feed formula needs no water).
• Special diets and food allergies: label safe foods clearly and keep them separate.
• Older adults: foods that are easy to chew and open.
• Pets: at least 2 weeks of food, plus water, bowls and any medication.

Storing food properly

• Keep food cool (ideally 40–70°F), dry and dark. A hallway closet beats a hot garage or attic.
• Store it off the floor in sealed plastic or metal bins to keep out moisture, insects and rodents.
• Move opened packages of dry food into airtight containers.
• Write the purchase date on each item with a marker.

Rotation and shelf life

Use "first in, first out": put new purchases at the back and eat from the front. Check your supply twice a year and use up anything nearing its date in regular meals.

As a guide, high-acid canned foods such as tomatoes and fruit keep best quality for 12 to 18 months, and low-acid canned foods such as meat and vegetables for 2 to 5 years, if the cans are in good condition and stored cool.

Cooking without power

• Plan at least 3 days of no-cook meals so you aren't dependent on fuel.
• Camp stoves, propane and charcoal grills are for outdoor use only. Never use them indoors or in a garage: carbon monoxide can kill.
• Keep extra fuel for your outdoor stove, stored safely away from the house.
• A pot with a lid saves fuel. So does soaking rice and pasta before cooking.

Food safety during an outage

• Eat food from the refrigerator first, then the freezer, then the pantry.
• Keep the refrigerator closed: it keeps food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours.
• Throw away perishable food that has been above 40°F (4°C) for more than 2 hours.
• Throw away any food (including canned goods with paper labels or screw caps) that floodwater has touched. Commercially sealed metal cans that are undamaged can be cleaned and sanitized.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

The supplies besides food

• Manual can opener, plates, cups and utensils.
• Prescription medicines: ask your doctor and pharmacist about keeping an extra supply, and keep a written list of medications and doses.
• First aid kit, plus over-the-counter pain and fever medicine and anti-diarrheal tablets.
• Flashlights, extra batteries, and a battery or hand-crank radio.
• Hygiene: soap, toothpaste, feminine supplies, diapers, toilet paper, garbage bags.
• Fire extinguisher, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms with fresh batteries.
• Cash in small bills. Card readers and ATMs fail when the power does.
• Copies of important documents in a waterproof bag.