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General information — not a substitute for official instructions. In an emergency, call 112.

crisisplan

72-hour preparedness

How to be ready for about 72 hours without shops, power or normal services — the EU baseline; Germany’s BBK aims higher, at up to ten days.

Across the EU, 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. In Germany the BBK goes further and recommends supplies for as long as possible, up to ten days — 72 hours is the first milestone, not the finish line. 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 at least three days — 2 litres of water per person per day — then build towards ten.
  • Light and warmth: torch, batteries, warm layers; never run generators, camping stoves or barbecues in closed rooms (carbon monoxide).
  • Information: Cell Broadcast enabled on your phone, the NINA warning app, a battery or crank radio (FM/DAB+), a charged phone and power bank.
  • Health: medicines, first aid, copies of prescriptions and key documents.
  • Plan: who to call, where to meet if separated, where the main water and gas valves and the main electrical switch are — only shut them off if you know how to do it safely.

Day-by-day mindset

Day 1: confirm everyone is safe, follow official warnings (NINA, radio), 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.

The 72-hour figure is the common EU household baseline; the BBK’s recommendation for Germany is up to ten days, at least three. Not a substitute for official local instructions.

Content last reviewed: September 4, 2026

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