Plan for Outages and Everyday Disruptions

Make a household contact plan, organize supplies, and prepare for interruptions to power and communication. Adapt general guidance to local conditions.

THE FIELD NOTES9 ARTICLES

GUIDES FOR
EVERYDAY READINESS.

Clear explanations, practical checklists, and questions to consider before choosing equipment or making a plan.

Illustrative table with a phone, charging equipment, portable radio, and paper contact card.

01 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Emergency communication plan when your phone is unavailable

Build an emergency communication plan for a dead, missing, or disconnected phone, with paper contacts, agreed check-ins, and official information sources.

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Illustrative kitchen with a closed refrigerator, appliance thermometer, battery lantern, and planning notebook.

02 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Power outage safety checklist: food, backup power, and household needs

Use a power outage safety checklist to review food temperatures, backup-power limits, medical-device arrangements, contacts, and relocation plans.

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Illustrative household pantry with sealed drinking-water bottles and handled water containers on a low shelf.

03 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Emergency water storage: containers, locations, and review checks

Plan emergency water storage with a household quantity worksheet, suitable containers, clear locations, date checks, and contamination limits.

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Backpack and tote beside a home entryway bench with a folded map, document pouch, and keys.

04 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Household evacuation plan: routes, transport, and a departure checklist

Build a household evacuation plan with confirmed destinations, transport, official route updates, care arrangements, and a practical departure checklist.

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Emergency contact card with blank fields tucked into a brown leather wallet beside a pen.

05 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Emergency contact card for wallet: what to include

Make an emergency contact card for your wallet with a simple template, essential fields, privacy tips, and checks to keep your numbers current.

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Battery lantern giving a soft glow on a home side table beside a flashlight and notebook.

06 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Power outage lighting: a practical household plan

Plan household lighting for a power outage with task-based light choices, accessible storage, checked batteries, charging arrangements, and a practical inventory.

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Emergency supplies in an open storage box beside water, canned food, and a notebook on a home kitchen table.

07 / 09

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Emergency supply inventory checklist: count, check, and restock

Create an emergency supply inventory checklist with usable quantities, exact locations, condition checks, and a simple plan to restock household supplies.

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