Emergency Meal Planning - Evacuation vs Shelter in Place

Eating During Evacuations

In your Grab-and-Go Bag, store enough food to sustain you for 1 to 3 days. These foods should be portable and require little to no preparation.

  • High-energy snacks, such as granola bars, dried fruit, trail mix, and beef jerky
  • Long shelf-life emergency ration bars
  • MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat)
  • Cook-in-pouch camping meals

How Different Types of Shelter-in-Place Emergencies Affect Meal Planning and Preparation

There are a few more factors to consider when planning meals during shelter-in-place emergencies, as the nature of the event itself will affect how food can be accessed and prepared.

  • During power outages, your stove* and oven won’t work, and it’s recommended to keep your fridge and freezer closed as often as possible to prevent food spoilage.
  • Following an earthquake, landslide, or tornado, kitchen appliances may sustain significant damage and no longer be functional.
  • If you’ve been ordered to shelter in place due to a local hazardous material spill, you should be able to prepare food as normal, but avoid using the kitchen exhaust fan.
  • As we witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, food shortages may occur as a result of “panic buying” amid infectious disease outbreaks. Food shortages can also be caused by more complex events, such as agricultural disasters and supply chain disruptions.
  • Running water may not be available due to shortages, disruptions, or contamination.

*Some older gas stoves may still ignite without electricity. Modern units typically use an electric starter, but may be ignited manually using a match and extreme caution. If you are using a gas stove during a power outage, be sure to open a window for ventilation, as the exhaust fan will also be out.

All-Hazard Guidelines

You can prepare for all of the above shelter-in-place events in the following ways:

  • Store food that is simple to prepare and uses minimal water and fuel to cook, such as canned goods and freeze-dried meals. For a comprehensive guide to emergency food options, check out Emergency Food Explained.
  • Have a backup way to cook food, such as a camp stove, backpacking stove, or barbecue, as well as additional fuel. Remember: NEVER operate any of these devices indoors. Only use them outside in a well-ventilated area.
  • Only prepare the amount of food you need at each mealtime to avoid leftovers that may spoil.

Eating Perishable Foods

As previously mentioned, keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A fridge generally keeps food cold for about 4 hours if unopened, while a freezer can maintain safe temperatures for between 24 and 48 hours, depending on how full it is. To minimize waste and maintain food safety, eat the food in your home in this order:

  1. Refrigerated leftovers and highly perishable foods
  2. Frozen foods that can be prepared without electricity
  3. Lastly, your shelf-stable foods and emergency foods

Knowing how to safely prepare and consume food when normal utilities and services are disrupted is almost as important as storing emergency food in the first place. Whether you need to evacuate at a moment’s notice or shelter in place for several days, the type of emergency will influence the foods you should have on hand and how you can prepare them. By planning ahead with appropriate foods and safe cooking methods, you can help ensure that you and your household remain well-nourished throughout an emergency.