Austria's emergency supplies
Austria's Federal Ministry of the Interior asks every household on oesterreich.gv.at to keep 10 to 14 days of water and food for everyone at home, with 2.5 litres of water per person per day as the reference. Here is the list, worked out for 1 to 6 people, with a link to the ministry's page.
What the ministry asks
10 to 14 days. On oesterreich.gv.at, on a page the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) is responsible for, it reads: „Jede/jeder sollte für einen Wasservorrat sowie einen Lebensmittelvorrat für alle Familienmitglieder und für mindestens 10–14 Tage vorsorgen.“ In English: everyone should keep a water supply and a food supply for all family members for at least 10 to 14 days.
The planning tip that goes with it: picture „a fourteen-day camping holiday inside your own four walls“, and think of everything you personally need.
Read on 11 Nov 2026; the page was last updated on 16 Feb 2026.
Water per person
35 litres
Two weeks for one person
The reference figure is 2.5 litres per person per day. The ministry notes that some experts advise 35 litres per person, which is exactly two weeks at that rate.
Water for your household
People times days times 2.5 litres, worked out.
| People | 10 days | 14 days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 L | 35 L |
| 2 | 50 L | 70 L |
| 3 | 75 L | 105 L |
| 4 | 100 L | 140 L |
| 5 | 125 L | 175 L |
| 6 | 150 L | 210 L |
Reference of 2.5 litres per person per day (oesterreich.gv.at). The ministry's emergency supply page sets a floor of at least 2 litres of drinking water per person per day for several days. The water calculator uses the US rule of 3.8 litres, which includes hygiene.
What to keep in the house
The ministry lists these, kept within reach in a safe place.
| Area | What oesterreich.gv.at lists |
|---|---|
| Light | Torch and spare batteries, candles, matches or a lighter, a wind-up lantern |
| Radio | Wind-up or battery radio with spare batteries; the car radio works too |
| Cooking | Camping stove, fondue burner, solid fuel or methylated spirit |
| Warmth | Warm clothes and blankets; paraffin or bottled-gas heaters, tiled or wood stoves |
| Medicine | Painkillers and fever tablets, diarrhoea remedies, your prescriptions, first-aid supplies |
| Hygiene | Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, pads or tampons, laundry detergent, bin bags, cleaning products |
| Papers | Important documents in one folder, ID, a list of key contacts and addresses |
| Cash | About two weeks' grocery shopping, or up to 100 euros per household member, in small notes |
| Car | A tank that is not nearly empty |
| Pets | A supply of pet food |
Sources: Allgemeines zum Selbstschutz and Verhalten bei Blackout (in German). The ministry credits the cash advice to Austria's central bank, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
What goes in the food supply
The ministry sets no amounts per food. It gives these rules:
- What you like to eat. The supply follows your household's eating and drinking habits.
- Food you can eat cold. If the power goes, meals have to work without a cooker.
- Long-life, good quality, easy to digest.
- Drinks in cartons. Mineral water and fruit juice in cartons keep especially long. Tap water can be contaminated in a disaster or stop altogether.
- Store it cool, dry and dark and check the use-by dates regularly.
- Special food for babies, sick and older people, plus food for pets.
Two ways to keep it fresh
The ministry describes both.
01Rotate it
- You buy ordinary products with normal use-by dates.
- You use them up in daily life and buy more.
- The supply never gets old.
02A long-life disaster supply
- Special products that keep a long time, 10 years for example.
- Store them cool, dry and safe from pests.
- Check them once a year: dates and packaging.
Potassium iodide
The self-protection page lists potassium iodide tablets for a radiological emergency in the home medicine kit. Take them only on explicit instruction from the health authorities; they are meant for children and young people up to 18 and adults up to 40.
Ask your family doctor which tablets suit your household, as Tyrol's civil protection service also advises.
Emergency numbers in Austria
The ministry says to know them by heart or keep them to hand. Put a note with the supplies.
| Who | Number |
|---|---|
| Fire brigade | 122 |
| Police | 133 |
| Ambulance | 144 |
| European emergency number | 112 |
| Out-of-hours doctor | 141 |
| Gas leaks | 128 |
| Mountain rescue | 140 |
| Regional warning centre (not in every state) | 130 |
| Pharmacy service | 1455 |
| AGES | 1450 |
| Poisons information centre | 01 406 43 43 |
oesterreich.gv.at, Allgemeines zum Selbstschutz. In a blackout the ORF emergency radio station broadcasts around the clock, and police stations stay staffed.
Questions people ask
How many days of supplies does Austria recommend?
At least 10 to 14 days of water and food for everyone in the household, according to oesterreich.gv.at.
How much water per person?
2.5 litres a day as the reference, so 35 litres for 14 days. The ministry's floor is 2 litres of drinking water per day.
How much cash should I keep at home?
About two weeks' grocery shopping, or up to 100 euros per household member, in small notes and kept safe. That is the Oesterreichische Nationalbank's advice.
Is there a printable list?
The ministry points to the supply guides of Austria's civil protection associations, such as the Carinthian association's „Krisenfester Haushalt“ checklist. For the first three days, use our 72-hour checklist.
Where do I get news in a blackout?
From the ORF emergency radio station, on a wind-up or battery radio or the car radio.
Read next
Sources
- oesterreich.gv.at (BMI): Verhalten bei Blackout (in German) 10 to 14 days, 2.5 litres, 35 litres, cash, cooking, light, warmth. Read 11 Nov 2026, updated 16 Feb 2026.
- oesterreich.gv.at (BMI): Allgemeines zum Selbstschutz im Katastrophenfall (in German) Household list, food rules, potassium iodide, emergency numbers.
- oesterreich.gv.at (BMI): Notversorgung (in German) At least 2 litres of drinking water per person per day for several days.
- Land Tirol, Zivilschutz Tirol: Vorgesorgt! Zur Sicherheit (PDF, in German) Also at least 14 days and at least 2.5 litres per person per day.