How Much Emergency Food and Water Should You Store?

Short answer: Ready.gov says to store at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food and one gallon of water per person per day. There is no single magic number, so use this rule: people × days × daily needs, then add pets and special needs. The emergency food supply calculator does the math and subtracts what you already have.

The basic formula

Food servings needed = people × days × meals (or servings) per day Water needed (gallons) = people × days × 1 gallon

Household	Days	Water (gallons)	Meals at 3 per day
1 person	3	3	9
2 people	3	6	18
4 people	3	12	36
1 person	7	7	21
2 people	7	14	42
4 people	7	28	84
4 people	14	56	168

Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, so a 14-day supply for four (56 gallons) needs real storage space. In hot climates, plan for more.

How many days should you plan for?

Ready.gov’s guidance is “at least a several-day supply” because disasters differ. In practice:

• 3 days: a starting point that covers many short outages and storms.
• 7 days: a solid goal for most households. It covers longer outages and gives local services time to recover.
• 14 days: a stronger buffer for people in areas with hurricanes, winter storms, wildfires, or earthquakes, or those who live far from stores.

Your local emergency management office may have a specific recommendation. Add more days if you have medical needs, or if help would be slow to reach you.

Water: the part people forget

• Plan 1 gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
• A normally active person needs about three-quarters of a gallon of fluids a day, but needs vary by age, health, activity, diet, and climate. Children, nursing mothers, and sick people may need more.
• Buy commercially bottled water and keep it in its sealed original container in a cool, dark place. Use it by its date.
• Water you bottle yourself should be replaced every six months.
• Do not ration drinking water unless authorities tell you to.
• Know how to treat water. Boiling at a rolling boil for one full minute is the safest method, according to Ready.gov.

How many calories?

A common planning number is about 2,000 calories per day for a typical adult. Needs vary, so treat it as a starting point. To check a supply:

calories per container = calories per serving × servings per container

Example: a jar of peanut butter with 14 servings at 190 calories per serving holds about 2,660 calories. You can use labels to check that your supply matches the number of people and days.

Choose foods that are calorie-dense, shelf-stable, and ready to eat, because you may not have power, water for cooking, or a stove.

What to store (no cooking needed)

Ready.gov suggests:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables (and a manual can opener)
• Protein or fruit bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Peanut butter
• Dried fruit
• Canned juices
• Non-perishable pasteurized milk
• High-energy foods
• Food for infants
• Comfort and stress foods

Practical additions: shelf-stable tuna or chicken pouches, crackers, nuts, canned beans, canned soups, shelf-stable tortillas, and a few treats. Choose items your household already likes so that nothing is wasted.

If you cook with propane or charcoal, remember: Ready.gov says charcoal grills and camp stoves are for outdoor use only.

Special needs to plan for

• Infants: ready-to-feed formula is the safest choice. Ready.gov says if you must mix formula, use bottled water, or boiled water as a last resort.
• Pets: food and extra water.
• Medical or dietary needs: low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, gluten-free, or allergy-safe foods.
• Medications: Ready.gov notes about half of all Americans take a prescription every day, and an emergency can make refills hard.
• Older adults: easy-open packaging and soft foods.

What it costs (and how to spread it out)

Use cost = people × days × cost per person per day. The numbers below are illustrative, not current prices.

Plan	Food at $5 per person per day	Water at $1 per gallon	Total
1 person, 3 days	$15	$3	$18
2 people, 7 days	$70	$14	$84
4 people, 7 days	$140	$28	$168
4 people, 14 days	$280	$56	$336

You do not need to buy it all at once. A simple approach:

1. Add 2 to 3 shelf-stable items to each grocery trip.
2. Buy staples when they are on sale or BOGO, and compare with the unit price calculator and your price book. See is buy one get one free a good deal and is buying in bulk actually cheaper.
3. Track what you have in the pantry inventory calculator.
4. Reach your first 3-day goal, then 7 days, then 14.

Rotate it so it never goes to waste

Emergency food only saves money if you do not throw it away. USDA says high-acid canned foods keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months, and low-acid canned foods for 2 to 5 years.

• Store what you eat, eat what you store. Use items in normal meals and replace them.
• First in, first out. Put newer items behind older ones.
• Write the purchase date on each item.
• Review twice a year. Pick two dates, such as when the clocks change.
• Keep it cool and dry. Ready.gov says to keep canned food in a cool, dry place and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers.
• Discard cans that are swollen, dented, or corroded, or food that looks or smells abnormal.
• Re-think your needs every year, as your family changes.

Package dates are generally about quality, not safety. Check how long food lasts and use the food shelf life calculator.

When the power goes out: fridge and freezer rules

• Keep doors closed.
• Food stays safe for up to 4 hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer, according to USDA and CDC.
• Throw away perishable food (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leftovers) that has been above 40°F for 2 hours or more.
• Eat the refrigerator food first, then the freezer food, then your shelf-stable supply.
• A full freezer holds its temperature longer, so keep it stocked. The freezer inventory planner helps you track it.

“When in doubt, throw it out.”

A 3-day supply for one person (example)

Item	Amount
Water	3 gallons
Peanut butter	1 jar
Crackers or tortillas	2 boxes or 1 pack
Canned tuna or chicken	4 cans or pouches
Canned beans or soup	4 cans
Canned fruit	3 cans
Granola or protein bars	6 bars
Dried fruit or nuts	1 large bag
Shelf-stable milk	1 carton
Manual can opener	1

Check the calories on each label against the roughly 2,000 per day you are aiming for, then adjust.

Quick checklist

• Food: at least several days, ready to eat, calorie-dense
• Water: 1 gallon per person per day
• Special needs: infants, pets, medical, dietary
• Manual can opener, utensils, safe cooking method
• Build gradually, rotate twice a year
• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed in an outage

Limits of this guide

This is general planning guidance, not a substitute for local emergency instructions or medical advice. Follow your local emergency management office, especially during an evacuation or boil-water order. Cost examples are illustrative.

Sources

• Ready.gov (FEMA), Food
• Ready.gov (FEMA), Water
• Ready.gov (FEMA), Build A Kit
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Shelf-Stable Food Safety
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Power Outages, Floods & Fires
• CDC, Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency

Last reviewed October 7, 2026.