Storm-Prep / Long-Outage Kit

A short power blip and a multi-week grid-down event call for different thinking. Use one dedicated tote or bin, sized 27–40 gallons, kept somewhere you can reach it in the dark. Here's exactly what goes inside.

Light & power (extended)

A 72-hour kit runs out of batteries in week two — this is the deeper reserve that gets you through week three.

2–3 large battery lanterns
Extra batteries — double what your Power Outage Kit holds
Solar or crank-charged power bank

Headlamp per person (backup to your go-bag's)
Extension cord, heavy-duty, outdoor-rated

Structural & access

Boarding a window or clearing a downed branch is a before-and-during task — this is what makes that possible without a hardware store run.

Plywood sheets or pre-cut boards, sized to your windows
Heavy-duty tarp, at least one large
Rope or paracord, 50+ ft

Work gloves, 2 pairs
Basic tool kit — hammer, drill or screwdriver, nails/screws
Chainsaw, fueled and sharp, if you own one

Documentation

This is the phase almost every household skips, and it's the difference between a full insurance payout and a fight over one.

Waterproof folder: insurance policy, ID copies, deed/lease

Phone with photos/video of every room, taken before the season starts

Sanitation for extended use

A 3-day hygiene kit doesn't stretch to 3 weeks — this is the top-up that keeps a long outage from becoming a health problem.

Extra toilet paper — well beyond your normal stock
Heavy-duty trash bags

5-gallon bucket + toilet seat lid (backup toilet)
Bleach, unscented — sanitation and water purification

Communication

Cell towers go down before the power grid always finishes recovering — a battery/crank radio is often your only real information source.

NOAA weather radio, hand-crank or solar

Whistle — signaling if you need help and can't call out

Cross-reference, don't duplicateYour Water Storage and 3-Week Pantry kits already cover food and water for this timeframe — this bin holds what those don't: power, structure, documentation, and extended sanitation.

Before, during, and after

The part that matters as much as what's in the bin — what you actually do with it.

Before — watch or warning window

Fuel and water storage topped off
Medical device batteries to 100%
Generator load-tested under real draw
Vehicles fueled
Yard secured — loose items brought in or tied down
Windows boarded if severe wind is expected

During — active event

Consolidate into one core zone — pick the room easiest to keep warm or cool, close doors, seal drafts
Generator outside only, 20+ ft from the structure, downwind — never in a garage, even with the door open
Test every CO detector
NOAA radio on, monitoring conditions
Headcount every few hours — everyone accounted for

After — recovery (the phase most households skip)

Shut the generator fully down before power is restored
Bring breakers back on one at a time, seconds apart — avoid surge damage
If a well or flooding was involved: don't drink the water until it's confirmed safe
Photograph everything before you clean up or discard anything
Itemize spoiled food and losses for insurance
Restock everything you used immediately — don't wait for next season

The family After-Action Review

Do this within a week, while it's still fresh — this is what separates a household that actually improves from one that relearns the same lesson every time.

What worked?
What failed?
What was missing?
What did each family member find hardest?
Update your plan. Date it. This is also a good moment to retake the Household Assessment.

🌪️ Storm-Prep / Long-Outage Kit