13 of 23
Grid regions short on supply
North America's grid regulator says 13 of its 23 regions face supply shortfalls within five years as demand climbs.
Free family emergency guides
Be ready when the power goes out.
Outages are getting longer as storms grow stronger and the grid works harder. Here is exactly what your family needs, how to set it up, and one click to get it all.
No sign-up · Plain words · Every number linked to its source
The short answer
What you need, in plain words.
What do you need to be ready for a long power outage?
Plan for at least three days, ideally two weeks: one gallon of water per person per day, food that needs no fridge, phone power and light that don't need the grid, a battery or crank weather radio, first aid and medicines, a way to stay warm, an emergency toilet, and a battery carbon monoxide alarm.
When the lights go out, you will have
- Light in every roomLanterns and night lights that need no grid
- Phones that stay chargedA power bank and a solar charger
- Clean waterStored water, a filter and tablets
- Food for daysJust-add-water meals with a long shelf life
- A warm, safe homeBlankets, sleeping bags and a CO alarm
- Answers with no internetOffline Wikipedia, first aid and an AI helper
Why now
This isn't fear. It's in the news.
Grid regulators, the Energy Department and the weather all point the same way: a few days of backup at home is simply sensible. Every claim links to its source.
1 million+
Homes dark in one winter storm
In late January 2026 a winter storm cut power to more than a million customers across the South.
4 years
Of rising demand in a row
The EIA expects U.S. electricity use to grow four years running for the first time since 2007, led by data centres.
The kits
Pick a kit. One click to your cart.
Each kit builds on the one before. Every item is a real product we checked on Amazon, with free setup steps. You review everything in your own Amazon cart before you buy.
Blackout Kit
The essentials for a three-day power cut.
- Up to 2 people
- 20 products
- Pocket AI: your own offline AI and Wikipedia on a drive
- Phone power and lights that work with no grid
- A weather radio for official alerts
- 14 gallons of water, plus a filter and tablets
Family Kit
Two weeks for a family of four, with solar power that runs the fridge.
- Up to 4 people
- 42 products
- Home AI: a computer that runs everyday AI for every phone
- A 1 kWh solar battery and panel that run the fridge
- An induction hob and pot, safe to cook indoors
- Two weeks of meals for four
Whole-Home Kit
A month for up to six people: double the power, a month of food, real medical depth.
- Up to 6 people
- 50 products
- Home AI Max: a 128 GB computer that runs big AI models
- A second solar battery and panel
- A countertop water filter and 28 more gallons
- A month of meals for up to six
Neighbourhood Comms add-on
Text your street and hear the world with no phone network.
Home AI
When the internet goes down, you keep your answers.
Put all of Wikipedia, a medical encyclopedia and a small AI model on your own laptop or a little home computer. It answers with no internet, no account and no subscription. Our free guides walk you through it.
- Free software. Kiwix for the library, Ollama for the AI.
- Three sizes. Pocket AI for your laptop, Home AI for the whole house, Home AI Max for big models.
- Private. Nothing you ask ever leaves your home.
Home AI No internet
The tap water looks cloudy. Can we drink it?
Not yet. Let it settle and pour the clear water through a clean cloth. Then boil it for one minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet), or use your filter and a purification tablet. Drink your stored water first.
How long is the freezer food OK?
About 48 hours if the freezer is full and the door stays shut, about 24 if it's half full. Food with ice crystals or at 40°F or below can still be cooked or refrozen.
Example answers, checked against CDC and FoodSafety.gov. AI can be wrong. In an emergency, call 911.
Shop by need
Everything a home needs, sorted by need.
Power & lightKeep phones charged, rooms lit and the fridge cold without the grid.15 products →WaterStore clean water before trouble starts, and make more water safe to drink.8 products →Food & cookingMeals that keep for years and safe ways to cook indoors with no gas.7 products →First aid & medicineTreat everyday cuts, fevers and the serious stuff when help is slow to come.5 products →Warmth & shelterStay warm in one room when the heating stops in winter.5 products →Toilet & hygieneA clean, sealed toilet and a wash when the water stops running.3 products →Radios & newsHear official alerts and talk to family when phones and internet are down.5 products →Home safety & toolsCarbon monoxide and smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher and the tools you reach for.6 products →Papers & storageKeep documents safe and the whole kit together in one place.2 products →Offline helperWikipedia, medical guides and an AI helper that work with no internet at all.4 products →
Free guides
Short answer first. Then the details.
18 free guides, from the first hour of a blackout to running a fridge on solar. Every number comes from a source we link to.
Power & light
The 72-hour blackout plan: what to do hour by hour
A calm, step-by-step plan for the first three days of a power outage: what to do in the first hour, the first evening, and on days two and three.
Read the guide →Water
How much water to store for an emergency
Plan one gallon of water per person per day. Learn how to store it, rotate it, and cover pets, using simple containers and the bathtub as a backup.
Read the guide →Power & light
How to run a fridge on a portable power station (honest maths)
Plain-language sizing for running a fridge from a portable power station: watts, startup surge, hours of runtime, solar recharging, and safe cords.
Read the guide →Food & cooking
Food safety in a power outage: fridge and freezer rules
How long food stays safe in a fridge and freezer when the power is out, which foods to throw away, and why a simple thermometer is worth having.
Read the guide →Home safety & tools
Carbon monoxide safety during a power outage
Carbon monoxide kills quietly. Learn which outage tools are dangerous, where to place CO alarms, the warning signs, and how to use a Mr. Heater Buddy safely.
Read the guide →Warmth & shelter
How to stay warm without power
Keep your family warm in a winter blackout: pick one room, dress in layers, use sleeping bags, seal drafts, know hypothermia signs, and use only safe heat.
Read the guide →How it works
Three steps. One afternoon.
Pick what you need
Start with the Blackout Kit, or add the single items you're missing.
Review it on Amazon
One click fills your Amazon cart with every item and quantity. Remove anything you already own, then check out.
Set it up with us
Every product has plain setup steps, and our guides show how it all works together.
Latest news
What's happening to the grid.
· NOAA
NOAA's winter outlook: a very strong El Niño and a stormier South
NOAA released its December 2026 to February 2027 outlook on October 15, 2026. It favours warmer-than-average temperatures across the northern U.S. and wetter-than-average conditions along the southern tier and the East Coast. The agency's weather service director called it "a very strong El Nino" that is likely to shift the jet stream southward and eastward.
· Scripps News
Hurricane Isaias leaves nearly 900,000 without power on the Gulf Coast
Isaias came ashore near Pensacola late on a Friday as a Category 2 storm, after holding Category 3 strength for much of that day. At its peak nearly 900,000 customers lost power, and more than 700,000 were still out at 2 p.m. CT the next day, mostly in the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Georgia.
· PG&E
PG&E turns off power to about 2,500 customers to reduce wildfire risk
On September 14, 2026 PG&E shut off power in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama and Yolo counties because of strong winds, low humidity and high fire danger. The event was first forecast to reach about 14,000 customers in 12 northern counties. PG&E says these shutoffs are a last-resort safety measure and reported that essentially all customers were restored by evening.
Latest briefings
What the news means for your home.
Short, sourced briefings on the outages, storms and grid warnings in the headlines, each with what to do this week.
'Americans Stand Ready': FEMA's 2026 preparedness theme in practice
National Preparedness Month 2026 runs on the theme 'Americans Stand Ready'. Here is how to turn that message into a basic kit and family plan.
'SI not AI': superintelligence talk and your home backup plan
Some tech leaders and officials are using the term SI for superintelligence. Here is what the label means in plain words and a backup power plan for home.
227 drug shortages: how to keep a safe medicine reserve
Drug shortages 2026 are rising: ASHP counted 227 active US shortages in the second quarter. Plan refills, keep a medication list, and talk to your pharmacist.
A big retailer's corporate job cuts and why a pantry is a safety net
A major online retailer announced about 16,000 corporate job cuts in January 2026, after about 14,000 in October 2025. Here is a calm way to build a food pantry at home.
A deadly nor'easter flooded the Northeast: what to keep ready
A nor'easter brought flooding and power loss to the Northeast. Learn what to keep ready for nor'easter flooding and outages: lights, documents and a plan.
A FEMA overhaul may shift disasters to states: rely on yourself first
A FEMA overhaul could move more disaster work to states. See what the review council recommends and how to plan for the first 72 hours at home.
Questions
Plain answers.
How much emergency supply should a family keep at home?
Ready.gov asks every household to be able to manage on its own for several days. We suggest at least three days as a minimum and two weeks as a goal: water, food, light, phone power, a radio, first aid, warmth, a toilet plan and a carbon monoxide alarm.
How much water should I store?
One gallon per person per day, for drinking and basic hygiene — so a family of four needs 12 gallons for three days and 56 gallons for two weeks. Add extra for pets, hot weather, nursing mothers or anyone who is ill.
How long does food stay safe in the fridge when the power goes out?
About 4 hours if you keep the door closed. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours (about 24 hours if half full). Food that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be thrown out.
Can I run my fridge on a portable power station?
Yes. A typical modern fridge uses roughly 1–2 kWh a day, so a 1 kWh power station can run it for many hours, and longer if you recharge it with a solar panel. Check your fridge's label and our guide for the honest maths.
Is a portable power station safe to use indoors?
Yes. Battery power stations make no fumes, so they can be used inside, unlike gas generators. Gas generators must only run outdoors, far from doors and windows, because their carbon monoxide can kill in minutes.
Why do I need a carbon monoxide alarm for a power outage?
During outages people use generators, grills and heaters, and carbon monoxide poisoning cases rise. It has no smell or colour. A battery-powered CO alarm keeps working when the power is off and warns you in time.
Start with three days. Build from there.
The Blackout Kit covers two people for three days: light, phone power, water, food, first aid and warmth.