Overview
- Households are advised to secure at least three days of food and water for each person and pet while avoiding panic buying that can lead to waste during outages.
- FEMA and Ready.gov recommend non-perishable, ready-to-eat items with a manual can opener, and experts suggest choosing lower-salt foods to conserve water.
- If power fails, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, as a closed fridge stays cold for about four hours, and discard perishables kept above 40°F for more than two hours.
- Travel should be avoided when possible, and those who must drive should fill the tank and carry a charged phone with a battery pack, blankets, food, extra clothing, and remain in the vehicle if stranded with the exhaust pipe clear.
- For safety and comfort, keep generators, grills, and camp stoves outside at least 20 feet from doors or windows, test carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, and consider window insulation, flashlights with extra batteries, a coolbox, a first-aid kit, and hand warmers.