How to Bug In: Staying Safe and Comfortable at Home in an Emergency
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Quick answer: “bugging in” means staying at home during an emergency. It is the right choice when officials tell you to shelter in place, travel is dangerous or your home is safe and stocked. Prepare water (one gallon per person per day), food, a safe way to stay warm, light, a radio, sanitation supplies, medicines and a plan for communication. Never use generators, grills or camp stoves indoors, and follow official instructions.
Most emergencies are easier to ride out at home than on the road. Home has your supplies, your bed and your routines. This guide explains when staying put makes sense, how long you might need to, what to stock and how to handle the practical problems: heat, power, water, food, medical needs, cooking, hygiene and communication. It draws on Ready.gov, the CDC and the CPSC.
Situations when you might bug in
Common reasons include severe storms, winter storms and ice, long power outages, floods that make roads unsafe, tornado warnings, civil disruptions that local officials advise you to avoid, and hazardous material incidents or radiation events where authorities tell you to shelter in place. In each case, local officials make the call. Ready.gov says to stay informed and follow the instructions of local authorities, and the CDC notes that in some chemical emergencies leaving may be more dangerous than staying and sealing off a room.
How long might you need to stay?
It varies. A storm may last a day, a power outage a few days, and a major disaster longer. Ready.gov suggests being prepared to survive on your own for several days, and a two-week water supply is a common goal. Plan for at least a few days of everything, then build up.
What you need to bug in
Water
Store at least one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation, plus extra for pets. Keep unscented household bleach and a way to boil water as a backup, using the CDC methods in our guides to storing water and boiling water without electricity.
Food
Keep non-perishable foods that need little or no cooking, a manual can opener and foods for babies, pets and special diets. Eat perishable foods first. Ready.gov says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours and a full freezer about 48 hours if you keep the doors closed. See our guides to canned foods and how much food to stock.
Heat and warmth
Dress in layers, use blankets and sleeping bags, close off unused rooms and gather in one room. Never use a gas stove or oven for heat, and use a generator, charcoal grill or camp stove only outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Install battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms. See our guides to winter power outages and heating a tent safely.
Electricity and light
Use flashlights and battery lanterns rather than candles. Keep a power bank, spare batteries and, if you own one, a generator used safely outdoors. Disconnect appliances to avoid damage from surges when power returns.
Medical and sanitation needs
Keep a first aid kit, prescriptions and a plan for refrigerated medicine and powered medical devices, as Ready.gov advises. For sanitation, store garbage bags, plastic ties, moist towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. A bucket with a tight lid and heavy bags can serve as an emergency toilet if water service stops. See medical supplies.
Communication and information
Keep a battery or hand-crank radio with NOAA alerts, a charged phone and a power bank. Write down important phone numbers and agree on an out-of-area contact. See our guide to survival walkie-talkies.
Cooking without power
Use a camp stove or grill outdoors only. The CDC warns that charcoal grills, camp stoves and lanterns produce carbon monoxide and must never be used inside a home, tent or camper. Choose foods that need little cooking. See our guides to cooking during a grid-down situation and campfire cooking tools.
Children, older adults and pets
Children need routines, comfort items and activities, so keep books, games and quiet toys on hand. Older adults and people with medical needs may need extra warmth, medications and help with mobility, so check on them. Pets need food, water and a safe place to stay. Keep supplies for babies, such as formula, bottles and diapers.
Laundry and hygiene
Basic hygiene prevents illness when services are down. Wash hands with soap and safe water or use hand sanitizer, keep food-prep surfaces clean, and use wipes and a basin to wash. If water is limited, prioritize drinking and handwashing. For clothes, wash small items by hand in a bucket and hang them to dry if you have enough water.
Staying safe and secure
Keep doors and windows locked, let a neighbor or relative know your plans and avoid advertising your supplies. If you feel unsafe, call 911 or local authorities. Check on neighbors, especially older adults, because a connected community is safer. We have removed older advice that focused on weapons, since those decisions involve local law and training that go beyond an emergency supply guide.
Knowledge and skills
Learn first aid and CPR, how to turn off your utilities, how to make water safe and how to use your tools. Practice cooking, heating and lighting without power at least once so you are comfortable. Review our 72-hour kit checklist and our guide to bugging out or staying put.
Is bugging in realistic?
For most people and most emergencies, yes, as long as your home is safe, you have supplies and officials are not telling you to leave. The risks of staying are being without utilities, running out of supplies and being cut off from help. The risks of leaving are traffic, hazards on the road and unknown destinations. Make your plan before an emergency and be ready to change it if officials give new instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bugging in mean?
Staying at home during an emergency instead of evacuating.
When should I stay home?
When officials tell you to shelter in place, when travel is unsafe or when your home is safe and you have enough supplies.
How much water do I need to bug in?
At least one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation, for at least three days and ideally two weeks.
How do I stay warm safely?
Layer clothing, use blankets, gather in one room and never use a gas oven, grill or generator indoors. Install battery-powered CO alarms.
Should I ever leave?
Yes, if officials order an evacuation, your home becomes unsafe or you cannot stay warm, safe or supplied.
Bottom line
Bugging in works when you prepare for it. Stock water, food, warmth, light, sanitation, medicines and a radio, use fuel-burning equipment only outdoors and follow official instructions.
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