Power outage emergency kit
Keep one flashlight per person, a battery or crank radio, charged power banks, water, food that needs no cooking, a cooler with a thermometer and a battery-backed carbon monoxide alarm. The Red Cross asks for food and water for at least two weeks in case an outage runs long.
What a blackout takes away
The Red Cross lists what an outage can cut at home: lighting, heating, cooling, communication, food and medicine refrigeration, cooking and medical equipment. A power outage kit covers each of those with something that runs on batteries, a crank or nothing at all.
This page is the box you pack before. For the steps once the lights go out, read what to do in a power outage.
The checklist
Pack it in one place you can find in the dark.
| Item | How many | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flashlight | 1 per person | Ready.gov |
| Spare batteries for every light and radio | A full set of spares | Ready.gov kit |
| Battery or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert) | 1 | Ready.gov kit, Red Cross |
| Power bank or portable charger, kept charged | 1 per phone you rely on | Ready.gov |
| Corded (non-cordless) home phone, if you have a landline | 1 | Red Cross |
| Water | 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day | Ready.gov kit |
| Food that needs no cooking or fridge, plus a manual can opener | At least 2 weeks for a long outage | Red Cross |
| Cooler and frozen gel packs or ice | 1 | CDC |
| Appliance thermometers | 1 for the fridge, 1 for the freezer | CDC |
| Carbon monoxide alarm with battery backup | 1 on every level of the home | Ready.gov, Red Cross |
| Smoke alarms with battery backup | Every floor, inside and outside sleeping areas | Red Cross |
| Surge protectors | For household electronics | Red Cross |
| Sleeping bag or warm blanket | 1 per person | Ready.gov kit |
| First aid kit and prescription medicines | 1 kit | Ready.gov kit |
| Paper list of phone numbers | 1 copy | Red Cross |
Tick it off item by item in the 72-hour checklist.
Water for your household
Three days is the base. Two weeks covers the long outage the Red Cross plans for.
| People | Water for 3 days | Water for 2 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 gal (about 11 L) | 14 gal (about 53 L) |
| 2 | 6 gal (about 23 L) | 28 gal (about 106 L) |
| 4 | 12 gal (about 45 L) | 56 gal (about 212 L) |
| 6 | 18 gal (about 68 L) | 84 gal (about 318 L) |
1 gallon per person per day (Ready.gov). Add pets and hot weather in the water calculator. Food ideas that need no stove: emergency food with no power.
Light and power for phones
The two things people run out of first.
- Flashlights first. The Red Cross says to use flashlights, not candles. The UK government adds that a phone torch drains the battery you need for calls.
- List what needs power. Walk through the house and write down everything that runs on electricity, then plan batteries or a power bank for the ones that matter.
- Check the home phone. Find out whether your landline works with the power off and how long its battery backup lasts.
Medicine that needs a fridge
Ask about this now, while the pharmacy is open.
Ready.gov asks you to talk to your medical provider about a plan for electric medical devices and refrigerated medicines, and to find out how long each medicine can stay at higher temperatures. If the power has been out for more than a day, it says to throw away medicine that should be refrigerated unless the label says otherwise, and to call your doctor or pharmacist for a new supply.
Keep a spare cooler and gel packs for medicine alone, so it isn't opened every time someone wants a drink.
Insulin without a fridge
The FDA's emergency guidance for US insulin products.
| Situation | What the FDA says |
|---|---|
| Vials or cartridges, opened or unopened | Can stay unrefrigerated at 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C) for up to 28 days and still work |
| Diluted or taken out of the original vial | Throw away within two weeks |
| Frozen | Do not use it. Keep it cool on ice without letting it freeze |
| Stored above 86°F (30°C) in an emergency | You may still need to use it. Replace it as soon as properly stored insulin is available |
FDA, insulin storage in an emergency. Labels differ by product: ask your pharmacist about yours.
Cold, heat and the car
Three things to sort before the season turns.
- Blankets and warm clothes for each person. For a winter outage, read how to stay warm.
- Seal around windows to hold heat in, and know where you would go if the house gets too hot or too cold. Communities often open warming or cooling centers and charging stations.
- Keep the car's gas tank at least half full. The Red Cross gives this as part of planning whether to stay or go.
In the UK: the power cut kit
The UK government's Prepare site lists these for a power cut.
- A battery or wind-up torch with spare batteries. "Torches are safer than candles."
- At least 3 days of bottled water, 3 litres per person per day, and non-perishable food that needs no cooking, plus a tin opener.
- A battery or wind-up radio, with the frequencies of your local stations written on paper.
- A small amount of cash in case card payments or cash machines stop.
- The number to report a power cut written down: 105 in England, Scotland and Wales, 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland. For a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or 112.
- If you rely on power for medical equipment, sign up to your supplier's Priority Services Register.
Questions people ask
What should be in a power outage emergency kit?
A flashlight per person, spare batteries, a battery or crank radio, charged power banks, water, no-cook food with a can opener, a cooler, fridge and freezer thermometers, a battery-backed CO alarm, blankets and your medicines.
How much water do I need for a power outage?
Ready.gov counts 1 gallon (about 3.8 litres) per person per day. A family of four needs 12 gallons for three days and 56 gallons for two weeks.
Are candles safe in a power outage?
The Red Cross says to use flashlights instead of candles because of the fire risk.
How long can insulin go without a fridge?
The FDA says vials and cartridges can stay at 59°F to 86°F for up to 28 days. Don't use insulin that has frozen.
Do I need a generator?
None of the kit lists on this page requires one. If you run one, it goes outdoors, at least 20 feet (about 6 m) from windows, doors and attached garages.
Read next
Sources
- Ready.gov: Power Outages Flashlight per person, power bank, medicine, CO alarms, 20 feet.
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit Radio, batteries, water per person per day, blankets.
- American Red Cross: Power Outage Safety Two weeks of food and water, flashlights over candles, alarms, half a tank.
- CDC: Keep Food Safe After an Emergency Thermometers, cooler and gel packs.
- FDA: Insulin storage in an emergency
- UK Government, Prepare: Power cuts Checked 11 Nov 2026.