Plan backup power for phones, a modem and router, laptops, radios, and other essential electronics using measured loads, runtime estimates, and safe fallbacks.
Preparedness library
Guides for the decision in front of you
Browse practical planning guidance for outages, water, food, backup power, communication, and home security. Start with a topic or continue through the latest updates.
Archive page 4
Earlier guides
A practical planning guide for extended outages: water, food, power, communication, health needs, local alerts, and evacuation decisions.
Inspect vulnerable pipes, learn the water shutoff, use insulation and approved heat cable, follow local drip guidance, thaw safely, and respond to leaks without open flames.
A calm, practical manual for the first hour, food and water safety, communication, backup power, sanitation, cold or heat, and daily decisions during a home outage.
Plan a rainwater collection system around local rules, intended use, roof conditions, storage, maintenance, and drinking-water safety limits.
Choose a home security camera by placement, power, storage, privacy, notification, support, and offline behavior instead of temporary rankings.
Build a winter kit for home, vehicle, and evacuation with water, familiar food, medication, warm layers, light, communication, safe heat limits, and maintenance.
Use fall to inspect heating, alarms, plumbing, drainage, the vehicle, winter supplies, backup power, communication, and the household's heated backup location.
Build an emergency water plan around safe storage, local advisories, source-specific treatment, certified filters, and testing instead of unsupported product rankings.
A practical way to build, store, and maintain a home emergency kit without buying a pre-made bundle you will not use.
Learn a solar-sizing method for panels, battery energy, and inverter output using measured loads, seasonal solar data, system losses, and autonomy.
Plan no-cook meals and safe outdoor emergency cooking with equipment, fuel, carbon monoxide controls, weather limits, cleanup, and a household test.
Compare portable power stations by usable energy, output, charging inputs, temperature, safety evidence, service, and a repeatable load test.
Understand winter storm watches, warnings, and advisories, why local criteria vary, where to read the full alert, and which household actions belong at each stage.
Plan a home battery backup without unsafe assembly shortcuts. Define loads, choose listed equipment, involve the local authority and a qualified installer, and document commissioning and shutdown.
Choose and place a mesh Wi-Fi system by floor plan, wall materials, wired backhaul, security support, outage power, and a repeatable home survey.
Shop for a winter storm without panic buying: audit the pantry, cover three no-cook days, add safe water and low-fuel meals, and protect refrigerated food.
Inspect doors, windows, lighting, garage access, cameras, alarms, accounts, and outage fallbacks with a safe room-by-room home security checklist.
Safety rules for generators, installed wood stoves, portable heaters, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and the decision to leave a cold home.
Prepare backup power for winter outages with critical-load priorities, carbon monoxide safety, heat and water fallbacks, cold-weather limits, and drills.