What to stock up on if you're worried about war

By SGWNI. Checked on 2 November 2026.

Stock the same basics you’d want for any emergency: water, food that needs no cooking, a flashlight, a battery or hand-crank radio, cash and your medications. We found no separate federal supply list for war. Ready.gov points to its emergency kit list for emergencies of all kinds, including radiation emergencies. A good first goal is 3 days of supplies, and 2 weeks of water if you can. If you’re worried, this is a calm, useful thing to do about it, and much of it may already be in your home.

What would actually reach your home

We can’t predict what any conflict would look like, and we don’t try to. What we can do is plan for things that stop working for a while. The list is the same whatever the cause, whether it’s a hurricane, a cyberattack or something bigger.

Our emergency kit checklist turns Ready.gov’s lists into a list for your household.

The first things to buy

If you do one thing, sort out the water. The CDC says at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days, and 2 weeks if possible. Our water storage calculator shows what that means in jugs and cases.

After that, get food your household will eat, then a radio, a flashlight and batteries. Our food storage calculator makes a shopping list.

Ask your pharmacist about keeping extra of any medicine you depend on. Sources differ on how much to keep.

Getting alerts

Emergency information is what you’d want first, and it’s free.

• Wireless Emergency Alerts reach phones in a targeted area, with no subscription. Check your phone’s settings if you don’t receive them.
• The Emergency Alert System lets the President address the public on TV and radio during a national emergency.
• NOAA Weather Radio carries non-weather emergency alerts too.
• The FEMA App gives alerts for up to five locations.

A battery or hand-crank radio is the one to have if other communications fail.

If you were told to shelter

Ready.gov’s advice for a radiation emergency is “get inside, stay inside and stay tuned.”

• Go to the nearest sturdy building, ideally a basement or the center of a large building.
• Turn off fans, air conditioners and forced-air heating that pull in outside air. Close windows and doors.
• Stay for at least 24 hours, unless there’s an immediate danger such as a fire or gas leak, or officials say it’s safe to leave.
• Bring pets inside if you’re told to shelter.

Ready.gov says food and water from inside buildings are safe, and sealed containers from outside are safe if you wipe them down first. Its supply list for this adds a spare set of clothes for each person and a trash bag for contaminated clothing. Otherwise, it’s the supplies you already have: sealed food, water and medicine.

What you don’t need

• Potassium iodide, unless you’re told to take it. The CDC says to take it only on the advice of public health or emergency management officials, and that it carries health risks. It only protects the thyroid from radioactive iodine. Table salt and iodine supplements aren’t substitutes. Never leave a safe shelter to look for it.
• Specialist survival gear. Ready.gov’s basic list is ordinary items: water, food, a radio, a flashlight, first aid, a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting, duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags, a wrench or pliers, a manual can opener, local maps, and a phone with a charger and backup battery.
• A year of food, bought all at once. Buy what you’ll eat, a little at a time. It’s cheaper, it keeps stores stocked, and it means you won’t throw food away later.

If you’d like to go further

Three days is a first goal, and 2 weeks is a sensible next one. Read how much food a family should keep for the numbers. Pick foods your household already eats, then use them and replace them. Ready.gov suggests looking at your kit each year, and updating it as your household changes.

A plan matters as much as supplies. Agree where you’d meet and name one contact outside your area, as Ready.gov suggests. Our family emergency plan keeps this on one page.

Looking after yourself

Worry about the news is tiring, and doing something practical can help. Pick one item from your list this week. Talk to a neighbor. When it’s done, it’s done, and you can stop thinking about it for a while.

If worry is affecting your sleep or your daily life, talk to your doctor.