Rhode Island Storm Preparedness: 3-Part series. TODAY: What to Buy, What to Store, What to Have Ready

Part 2 – What to Buy, What to Store, What to Have Ready

Could your household manage for several days without electricity?

For many Rhode Islanders, storm preparation means being ready to stay home through wind, heavy rain and a power outage. Yesterday, we covered household plans and knowing when to leave. Today, we turn to the practical details: what belongs in the cupboard, what needs charging, and what should be ready before the lights go out.

September is National Preparedness Month, with FEMA’s 2026 theme, “Americans Stand Ready.” Its campaign encourages affordable preparation, starting with items already at home.

Check your shelves before you shop. Buy food your family will eat, replace missing supplies and plan for the people—and animals—who depend on you.

Water: count people, then days

CDC recommends at least one gallon per person per day for three days, and a two-week supply if possible. For a three-day starting supply:

• One person: 3 gallons
• Two people: 6 gallons
• Four people: 12 gallons

Allow extra for pets and individual needs. This water covers drinking and basic uses such as food preparation and brushing teeth; it is not enough for normal household water use.

Unopened commercially bottled water is the simplest option. If filling your own containers, use clean, sanitized food-grade water containers with tight lids. Never reuse containers that held chemicals. Label them with the date and replace home-filled water every six months. Follow the dates on commercially bottled water.

Store water in a cool place, away from sunlight and chemicals. Choose containers household members can lift and pour safely.

Food: plan meals you can actually make

Put aside several days of shelf-stable food, including choices that require no cooking. Think through breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

A practical shopping list could include:

• Canned or pouched tuna, salmon or chicken.
• Ready-to-eat canned beans.
• Peanut butter or another suitable spread.
• Crackers, cereal, granola bars and nuts, as appropriate for your household.
• Canned fruit, fruit cups and applesauce.
• Small cartons of shelf-stable milk or a suitable alternative.
• Foods that meet allergies, dietary restrictions and other individual needs.

Add a manual can opener. Check that it works and that the person using it can operate it.

Choose package sizes you can finish at one meal if refrigeration is unavailable. Shelf-stable milk and many other foods need refrigeration after opening—check the label. Dry rice, pasta and meals requiring boiling water are less useful without a safe way to cook.

A sample no-cook day might be cereal with a small carton of shelf-stable milk, tuna with crackers and fruit for lunch, and ready-to-eat beans with vegetables for dinner. Adapt it to your family’s tastes and needs.

Lights, phones and information

Gather flashlights, battery lanterns and the correct spare batteries. Put a light within easy reach of each sleeping area, and test everything before the storm.

Charge phones and portable power banks. Keep charging cables together. Include a battery-powered or hand-crank radio so you can receive information without relying entirely on your phone.

Use battery lighting instead of candles. Keep important telephone numbers on paper, too.

Medications and everyday essentials

Check prescription supplies now. Ask the pharmacy about refills and storage instructions for medicines that need refrigeration. Follow the requirements for the particular medication; food-storage rules do not tell you whether a medicine is usable.

If someone uses oxygen equipment, a powered mobility device or other medical equipment, confirm a backup plan with the supplier and healthcare team. Know the battery’s expected operating time and where the person can go before it runs out.

Include:

• A first-aid kit and regularly used health supplies.
• Glasses, hearing-aid batteries and mobility aids.
• Toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer and personal-care supplies.
• Diapers, wipes and infant-feeding supplies, if needed.
• Trash bags, paper towels and paper plates.
• Blankets, warm clothing and some cash in small bills.
• Copies of key contacts and important documents protected from water.

For someone living alone, agree on who will check in, when, and what happens if there is no answer. Ask whether help is needed carrying water or collecting supplies.

Pets need their own supplies

Set aside pet food, drinking water, medications, bowls, waste bags or litter, and a leash or carrier. Keep identification and veterinary information accessible. If staying at home becomes unsafe, confirm that your destination can accommodate your animals.

Get the refrigerator and freezer ready

Have an appliance thermometer, a cooler and frozen gel packs ready. Freeze containers of water with room for expansion. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below.

Once power fails, keep the doors closed. CDC’s guidance is:

• Refrigerator: up to four hours.
• Full freezer: approximately 48 hours.
• Half-full freezer: approximately 24 hours.

If an outage reaches four hours, move refrigerated perishables to a cooler with enough ice to maintain 40°F or below. Discard perishables that have gone four hours without power or an effective cold source.

Never taste food to check its safety. Frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be cooked or refrozen.

Know the generator rules before using one

Operate portable generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a house, basement or garage, even with doors open. Use working battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide alarms.

Never use a charcoal grill or camping stove indoors, or a gas oven to heat the house. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds or poisoning is suspected, get outside into fresh air and call 911.

Store it where you can reach it

Keep supplies together in sturdy, labeled containers in a dry, accessible location. Avoid a basement corner that takes on water. Put heavier supplies where they can be handled safely.

Check food dates regularly, use older supplies first and replace what you use. Keep the flashlight accessible rather than buried beneath everything else.

You do not need to buy everything at once. Start with drinking water, usable food, reliable lighting and essential health needs, then fill the gaps.

Today’s task: Check what you have, write down what is missing, and get your household’s supplies together.

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Tomorrow: Protecting your home, checking your insurance, and knowing what to do after storm damage.