The 72-hour rule: preparing for the first three days

What 72 hours means

Emergency services first help people in immediate danger. A three-day household supply gives them time to restore access and reach isolated areas. This is practical preparation for outages, floods, wildfires and water interruptions—not a prediction of disaster.

Calculate the essentials

Count every person and include extra needs for infants, pets and medical care.

• Water: use the quantity recommended by your local authority and store it in manageable containers.
• Food: choose familiar items that can be eaten without cooking.
• Power: keep flashlights, spare batteries and charged power banks.
• Information: retain a battery or hand-crank radio and printed contacts.

Rotate rather than forget

Set a six-month reminder. Move food and water into normal use before expiry, replace medication according to professional advice and test lights, radios and chargers.