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Free printable 72-hour household plan

Quick answer: a two-page plan you print, fill in once, and keep on the fridge. It covers water and food for everyone in your home for 3 days, where your shutoffs are, who to call, medications and medical devices, what to do when the power goes out, and how to treat water. It is free, with no email and no signup.

Download the 72-hour household plan (PDF)

What is on the plan

  1. Who lives here. Each age group with a blank for how many, plus the water and calories one person needs for 3 days. Two people need 6 gallons of water. (Ready.gov (FEMA); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FEMA and the American Red Cross) Pets get their own water line.
  2. Shutoffs. Where the water main, gas shutoff, and breaker panel are. If you turn the gas off, only a qualified professional can turn it back on. (Ready.gov (FEMA))
  3. Contacts. Your power, water, and gas utilities, an out-of-area contact, two meeting places, your doctor, and your veterinarian.
  4. Medications and devices. Blanks for each person's medicine or device, the dose or model, and the device maker's phone number. Check with the device maker or a clinician about power, water, and backup supplies.
  5. When the power goes out. Eat refrigerator food first, then the freezer, then the pantry. (FEMA and the American Red Cross) An unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours, and a full, closed freezer about 48 hours. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  6. Treating water. A rolling boil for 1 minute, or 1/8 teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon with a 30-minute wait. (Ready.gov (FEMA))
  7. Rotation. When you filled your water and when to replace it. Water you bottle yourself gets replaced every 6 months. (Ready.gov (FEMA); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FEMA and the American Red Cross)

How to use it

Print it in black and white on letter paper. Fill it in with everyone in the house, walk to each shutoff together, and put it where everyone can find it. Update the contacts and the rotation dates when they change.

Every number on the plan comes from the same data as the rest of the site, and each source is listed on the sources page. When a rule changes, the plan is printed again from the new number.

Planning for longer than 72 hours

For two weeks, three months, or a year, use the food and water calculator. It adds hot weather, medical needs, and a shopping list in cases, jugs, and servings. For an outage plan built around your household, with medical devices, the fridge and freezer, and a printable checklist, use the power outage planner.