72-hour preparedness

How to be ready for about 72 hours without shops, power or normal services — the EU-style baseline for households across Europe.

Many European civil-protection programmes ask households to manage roughly three days on their own after a major disruption (storm, flood, blackout, infrastructure failure). That window gives responders time to prioritise life-saving work. You do not need to predict the crisis — you need water, food, light, information and a simple plan.

The five pillars

Cover these first; polish later.

Water and food for everyone in the home (including pets) for three days.
Light and warmth: torch, batteries, warm layers; never run generators or barbecues indoors (carbon monoxide).
Information: official warning app or EU-Alert/cell broadcast, battery/crank radio, charged phone and power bank.
Health: medicines, first aid, copies of prescriptions and key documents.
Plan: who to call, where to meet if separated, how to shut off water/gas/electricity if trained and safe.

Day-by-day mindset

Day 1: confirm everyone is safe, follow official alerts, use supplies sparingly, check on vulnerable neighbours if you can do so safely.

Day 2–3: keep water clean, eat what spoils first if the fridge failed, stay indoors if authorities say so, only travel when routes and fuel are confirmed safe.

Build it into normal life

Buy a little extra of what you already eat. Keep documents in one folder. Agree a family meeting point. Practise finding the torch in the dark once. That beats a perfect list you never assemble.

Aligned with common EU / national 72-hour household preparedness messaging. Not a substitute for local official instructions.

Content last reviewed: July 18, 2026

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