72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 1 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GUIDE A practical go-bag checklist + home supplies plan Simple, affordable preparation for power cuts, storms, water interruptions and unexpected evacuations. Based on recurring themes in official UK and European guidance, with clearly marked practical extras. START HERE: 3 days of supplies at home + one manageable go bag for leaving quickly. You do not need to carry your entire household water reserve. Why 72 hours? Households may need to cope temporarily without normal power, water, internet, transport or shops. Extreme weather and infrastructure failures are everyday examples. Three days is a sensible first milestone, not a promise that services will be restored within 72 hours. Your first five actions □ Store enough safe drinking water for everyone. □ Build a three-day supply of familiar food that needs little or no cooking. □ Put a torch, radio, charged power bank and first aid supplies together. □ Make a family contact plan and find your home’s utility shut-offs. □ Pack a lightweight go bag that you can grab if asked to leave. What is in this printable guide? 1. Three-day household supplies • 2. Drinking-water calculator • 3. Go-bag checklist • 4. Family emergency plan • 5. Storage and rotation tracker • 6. European guidance and official sources. Safety first: Follow current local emergency instructions. Do not use barbecues, camping stoves or outdoor generators indoors or in enclosed spaces: carbon monoxide can kill. Take iodine tablets only if public-health authorities instruct you to do so. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 2 01 / YOUR THREE-DAY HOME SUPPLIES Check your cupboards before buying anything. The best emergency food is often the food you already eat. Food and drinking water □ Drinking water: at least 3 litres × people × 3 days (UK baseline). □ Shelf-stable meals and snacks for 3 days, including dietary needs. □ Foods requiring no refrigeration, and preferably no cooking. □ Manual tin opener; cups, plates, cutlery and wipes. □ Baby supplies, pet food and additional water where needed. □ Optional: extra water for washing, cooking, toilets and medical equipment. Light, information and power □ Torch or head torch, with spare batteries. □ Battery or wind-up radio suitable for your country. □ Charged USB power banks and correct phone cables. □ Printed local information, contact numbers and an offline map. □ Optional: larger portable power station for home use; test runtime. Health, hygiene and warmth □ First aid supplies and any essential medication / medical equipment. □ Toilet paper, hand sanitiser, soap, wet wipes, sanitary products. □ Heavy-duty rubbish bags; plan for toilet/sanitation disruption. □ Blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothes and dry socks. □ Safe heating plan or a place you could stay if heating fails. Money, documents and practical planning □ Cash in useful small denominations and a payment card. □ Copies of key documents stored securely and water-resistant. □ List of emergency contacts, neighbours and meeting points. □ Know location of electricity isolation, water stopcock and gas shut-off. □ Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms; consider household fire safety. Important: Keep household reserves accessible but separate from your evacuation bag. In a real emergency, prioritise official instructions, immediate safety and any essential medication. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 3 02 / WATER & FOOD CALCULATOR UK drinking-water starting point: 3 litres per person per day for 3 days. Add more for pets, infant formula, cooking, hygiene and medical needs. People 3 days / 72 hours 7 days 10 days 1 9 L 21 L 30 L 2 18 L 42 L 60 L 3 27 L 63 L 90 L 4 36 L 84 L 120 L 5 45 L 105 L 150 L 6 54 L 126 L 180 L Calculate yours: ______ people × 3 L × ______ days = ________ litres Number of 2-litre bottles: _________ | Number of 25-litre containers: _________ Food: make a simple three-day meal plan Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Breakfast ________________ ________________ ________________ Lunch ________________ ________________ ________________ Dinner ________________ ________________ ________________ Snacks ________________ ________________ ________________ Choose adequate portions for your own household, including any specific calorie, allergy or medical needs. Examples: tinned beans and fish, ready-to-eat meals, crackers, nut butter, nuts, dried fruit and cereal bars. Storing drinking water □ Use sealed commercially bottled water where possible; observe the label and storage advice. □ For filled containers, use clean food-grade vessels and safe drinking water; label date and follow local storage guidance. □ Keep cool, dark and away from chemicals. Check condition and rotate regularly. □ Do not assume flood water, rivers or other untreated sources are safe to drink. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 4 03 / THE GRAB-AND-GO BAG Pack this for a rapid departure, not as a substitute for your home stockpile. Keep it light enough to carry comfortably, and adapt to the season. 1 LIGHT & POWER □ Head torch + spare batteries □ Small handheld torch □ Charged USB power bank + charging cable 2 WATER & FOOD □ Refillable water bottle □ Compact ready-to-eat snacks / high-energy foods □ Optional: personal water filter or purification tablets, used correctly 3 COMMUNICATIONS □ Battery/wind-up emergency radio □ Printed map, emergency contacts and meeting point □ Whistle; notebook and pencil 4 DOCUMENTS & MONEY □ Waterproof pouch with document copies □ Cash in small denominations; spare keys □ Essential identification, if safe to keep in bag 5 COMPACT TOOLS [PRACTICAL EXTRAS] □ Small multitool / compact pliers where lawful □ Bit driver, small duct tape roll and cable ties 6 FIRST AID & MEDICINES □ Plasters, sterile dressings, bandage and gloves □ Personal medication, clearly labelled; medical information □ Spare glasses if needed 7 HYGIENE □ Hand sanitiser, wipes, tissues / toilet paper □ Toothbrush and travel toothpaste □ Small waste bags and personal hygiene items 8 WARMTH & WEATHER □ Waterproof jacket or poncho □ Dry socks, warm hat and gloves □ Emergency blanket / compact warm layer Personalise: children, pets, mobility aids, infant supplies and essential prescriptions may change what you need. Never carry prohibited tools or medicines unlawfully. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 5 04 / YOUR FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN Fill this page in by hand. Store a copy at home and a copy in the go bag. Avoid putting passwords or other sensitive access details on a sheet that could be lost. Household / address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Primary meeting point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Backup meeting point: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Out-of-area contact: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contact phone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neighbour / trusted contact: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local council / alert information: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GP / pharmacy / key medical contact: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electricity main switch location: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Water stopcock location: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gas isolation location (if applicable): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency supplies kept at: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go bag location: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency numbers and broadcasts United Kingdom: 999 or 112 for an emergency. 101 for non-emergency police; 111 for NHS urgent medical advice where available. For news during power failures, the UK preparedness website recommends a battery-powered FM radio. European Union: 112 is the common emergency number; country-specific police, fire and ambulance numbers may also apply. Norway: 110 fire, 112 police, 113 medical. Check local numbers before travelling. Local radio station/frequency or DAB service: ____________________________________________ Second station / service: _____________________________________________________________ Before leaving: Follow evacuation orders; take medicines, essential documents and the bag. Only isolate utilities if safe and instructed or appropriate. Tell your chosen contact where you are going. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 6 05 / STORAGE, ROTATION & EXPANSION Use this quick record so you know what has been checked. Review after use, when seasons change, and at least annually. Item / container Stored / filled Use by / next check Checked Water 1 ____________ ____________ □ Water 2 ____________ ____________ □ Food / snacks ____________ ____________ □ Medication ____________ ____________ □ Power bank / radio ____________ ____________ □ Batteries / torch ____________ ____________ □ Go bag (full check) ____________ ____________ □ Extend beyond 72 hours □ 7 days: extend your water, food and prescription plan using the same formula. □ 10 days: add storage capacity and a realistic cooking / heat / sanitation plan. □ Test a 24-hour power-off day to discover missing supplies and dependencies. □ Coordinate with neighbours, family or friends who may need help. Guide by country (selected official examples) Location General preparation target Radio / note UK Three-day supplies on current Be Ready checklist FM radio Finland At least 72 hours Battery or other off-grid radio Norway One week DAB radio / NRK P1 Germany Ten days of food and drink Check local warnings EU Commission Develop guidance for at least 72 hours EU-wide strategy, not a national kit mandate Country guidance changes and varies by local hazard. This is a simplified comparison, not a replacement for the official national advice. 72-HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS | PRINTABLE CHECKLIST 7 06 / OFFICIAL GUIDANCE & NOTES The lists in this guide combine common themes from official sources. Some details (including compact tools, particular products and the layout of a go bag) are practical suggestions rather than universal government requirements. Official sources (checked 6 November 2026) • UK - Be Ready household checklist • UK - water supply interruptions • European Commission - preparedness strategy • Finland - household supplies guidance • Norway - self-preparedness checklist • Norway - local radio and communications • Germany - BBK stockpiling • Poland - official evacuation-bag guidance Notes / things to buy ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Remember: Preparedness is about practical resilience, not predicting disasters. Start with what you already own, fill the gaps and practise your plan.