Short-Term Food Supply: The First Two Weeks

By GoldBlock WorkshopPublished Updated

The short answer

For the first days and weeks of a disruption, have food your family already eats that needs little or no cooking, refrigeration or water, plus water, a manual can opener and a safe way to cook. Ready.gov’s minimum is a several-day supply; the American Red Cross lists a 2-week supply of food and water for home. When the power goes out, keep the refrigerator and freezer closed and follow the federal discard rules (4 hours for a refrigerator; 48 or 24 hours for a full or half-full freezer; perishables above 40°F for more than 2 hours are thrown out). Never cook with a grill, camp stove or generator indoors.

Key numbers

  • 4 hourshow long a closed refrigerator keeps food safe without powerSource: CDC
  • 48 / 24 hoursa full / half-full freezer, door kept closedSource: CDC
  • 40°Fthe line for refrigerated food; perishables above it for more than 2 hours get thrown outSource: FoodSafety.gov
  • 20 feetportable generators outdoors only, at least this far from the house, exhaust pointed away, never in a garage, basement or crawlspaceSource: CPSC

What to have on hand

Ready.gov advises “at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food,” stocking “canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation,” and including “a manual can opener and eating utensils.” The American Red Cross lists a “2-week supply for home” of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food (Red Cross survival kit supplies), of the food you already eat. Good choices:

  • Ready to eat: canned meat, fish and beans; peanut butter and nuts; crackers and whole-grain cereal; canned and dried fruit; shelf-stable milk.
  • Easy to cook: pasta, rice, oats and canned soups and vegetables, if you have a safe way to heat them and the water to cook them.
  • Special needs first: infant formula, medical foods, allergy-safe food and pet food. See Food and Nutrition Requirements.
  • Water: one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation (Ready.gov), plus water for cooking. See Water Preparedness.

The easiest way to keep this supply fresh is to make it part of your everyday pantry; see Home Food Store and Rotation.

Food safety in a power outage

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed (CDC) and throw out perishable food that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours (FoodSafety.gov). The time limits set the order: refrigerated food within 4 hours, then the freezer (24 to 48 hours), then shelf-stable food.

Before an outage

CDC advises keeping appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer, freezing containers of water and gel packs to help keep food at 40°F or below, having a cooler ready, and buying dry ice or block ice if the power could be out for a long time. If you use dry ice, Ready.gov advises: “Use care when handling dry ice. Wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury,” and keep it from touching food directly. Dry ice gives off carbon dioxide gas. A dry-ice safety sheet published by the North Dakota Department of Health says “Dry ice should not be transported in the cabin of a car,” to open doors or windows for at least a minute before unloading it from a closed space, and “Never store dry ice in airtight vessels,” because the gas “may lead to the bursting of the vessel” (Handling and usage of dry ice).

During an outage

  • Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours; a full freezer about 48 hours and a half-full one about 24 hours.
  • After 4 hours without power, CDC advises moving refrigerated perishables into a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs, keeping them at 40°F or below.

After an outage

Cooking without power

Plan meals that need no cooking for the first days, and have a safe way to heat food for longer outages: a camp stove, a grill or a fire used outdoors only, away from the house.

Generators: Ready.gov advises connecting appliances to a generator with heavy-duty extension cords, keeping it dry, and letting it cool before refueling. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet or your home’s wiring; a whole-house connection needs a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician (backfeeding the grid can electrocute utility workers).

Medicines: Ready.gov advises that if the power is out for more than a day, refrigerated medication should be discarded unless its label says otherwise; ask your doctor or pharmacist right away for a new supply. If anyone depends on a refrigerated medicine, such as insulin, ask their doctor or pharmacist now, before an outage, what to do if it warms up, and do not stop a medicine without that advice.

Fuel storage follows the fuel’s own label and local fire code. Backup power for a refrigerator or freezer is covered in Backup Power for Vital Loads.

Evacuation and vehicle food

The planning guides list supplies for the car, the workplace and evacuation separately.

  • Car kit: Ready.gov advises keeping “a kit of emergency supplies in your car” in case you are stranded. Include water and compact, no-cook food.
  • Work kit: Ready.gov advises being “prepared to shelter at work for at least 24 hours” with food, water and medicines.
  • Evacuation: the American Red Cross lists a “3-day supply for evacuation” of food and water.

Utah State University Extension’s storage research page says heat speeds the loss of quality in stored food (see Long-Term Food Storage for the figures), which is the reason to replace vehicle food on a fixed date; the CDC’s clock-change reminder for carbon monoxide detector batteries is one such date.

Common questions

What should I buy first for emergency food?

Ready.gov: “Stock canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation,” “Choose foods your family will eat,” include “a manual can opener and eating utensils,” and “Remember any special dietary needs.”

How long is food safe in the fridge without power?

About 4 hours if the door stays closed (CDC). A full freezer holds about 48 hours and a half-full one about 24. Perishable food above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be thrown out.

Can I refreeze food after a power outage?

It depends on the food. FoodSafety.gov’s chart allows refreezing most meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables and breads that still contain ice crystals or have stayed at 40°F or below, and lists ice cream and frozen yogurt for discard either way. A thermometer tells you the temperature; the chart decides by food.

Can I use a camp stove or grill inside if I open a window?

No. CDC says never to use a portable gas camp stove or burn charcoal indoors, and never to run a generator inside a home or garage even with doors and windows open. Carbon monoxide can build up indoors and kill.

How much food should I keep in my car?

Ready.gov’s Build A Kit page advises a kit of emergency supplies in the car in case you are stranded, with food and water; the planning guides give no separate day count for a vehicle. Choose food that handles heat and cold, and replace it on a fixed date.

Where to go next

Sources