Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About Stocking Up on Supplies for 90 Days—And Should You Be Worried?

Scroll through your social media feed right now, and you might be alarmed by the state of the world. Wars are raging, the midterms are upon us and tragic images of earthquakes and avalanches are filling our feeds. Is it any wonder everyone is talking about “prepping” all of a sudden?

Prepping, which is short for preparedness, just means keeping food and supplies on hand in case of emergencies. And it’s always been around. In fact, you could say that anyone who cans food or stores garden veggies in the cellar for the winter is a prepper. In many ways, planning for the future is part of our DNA.

But recently, you may have heard that the United States government issued a new advisory to stockpile 90 days’ worth of food and other supplies. Should we all be worried that something big is on the horizon? What’s behind all this talk? Ahead, I’ll break down what’s really going on and what you should do in response. Read on to learn the latest.

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Who is talking about the need to prep for 90 days?

First, let’s clear up a misconception: The 90-day timeline comes from the Pentagon’s new push to make U.S. military bases self-sustaining without outside intervention in the case of a war. But for regular people, the suggestion is much less onerous. In fact, it’s more in line with what you would do for a natural disaster, and in the U.S., the guidance hasn’t changed at all.

Over the past few weeks, several countries, including Britain, Japan and Germany, have issued new or revamped guidance to make sure residents stock enough food, water and other supplies to last anywhere from three days to more than a week. Here is a snapshot of what governments around the world are advising their citizens to do:

• United States: Ready.gov advises residents to have a “several-day” supply of bottled water, nonperishable food, batteries, chargers and other items you would find in an emergency go bag.
• Britain: On Oct. 22, Britain launched its Be Ready initiative, telling residents to have three days of similar supplies, including 9 liters of water per person, on hand for contingencies.
• Japan: The prime minister launched a new National Disaster Management Agency on Nov. 2, encouraging people to not only have three days of supplies but also to secure their furniture and invest in a portable toilet.
• Norway: The country’s DSB, or emergency preparedness agency, recommends Norwegians be prepared to live without help for one week.
• Germany: The German government takes these tips even further, advising that residents have 10 days’ worth of supplies on hand in case of emergencies. If that’s not possible, three days is the bare minimum.
• Sweden: Like Norway, Sweden recommends that residents have one week of supplies stocked up for emergencies.

What prompted this concern?

Climate change and natural disasters are big drivers of the push to get people prepared. Other reasons include cyberattacks, due to our heavy reliance on technology, and the rise of hostile foreign actors around the world. Here’s why being prepared is increasingly important today:

Natural disasters

Climate change is accelerating the intensity and frequency of weather-related natural disasters, including heat waves, droughts and hurricanes. You don’t want to be caught off guard if help is days away. And with this year’s super El Niño, which could bring heavy rain and flooding to more than 40 states across the U.S., 2027 is shaping up to be a big one for weather disasters.

There’s also the issue of rising instability and migration due to climate change: According to the United Nations, climate disasters displaced nearly 46 million people in 2024. Having a few days’ worth of food and water on hand when the power goes out (or worse) could give you a lifeline when things look bleak.

Cyber attacks

Just last month, the world was on high alert due to a vulnerability in a programming language, PHP, used by 70% of the world’s websites. Before patches became available, millions of sites were attacked and multiple governments went offline as a precaution. What if your city’s electrical grid or water supply were affected?

And don’t discount the idea of hackers taking advantage of a natural disaster, says Lynn Budd, a former president of the National Emergency Management Association. “Everybody’s paying attention to the tornado, so our adversaries take advantage of that time and decide, ‘Oh, they’re busy with something else. Now’s the time to do a cyberattack or other types of attacks that may affect the critical infrastructure of a community,'” she told the Guardian.

Hostile governments

War and instability are on the rise around the world, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East just two of the most visible. China, Iran, North Korea and Russia are cited as particular threats. The recent crisis over Starlink and Starshield satellite systems being suddenly unavailable to Ukrainians on the battlefield demonstrates that we are all vulnerable to actions beyond our control.

Sweden and Britain specifically noted hostile foreign actors as reasons for revamping their emergency guidance, and we should also note that being isolated by two major oceans, like we are here in the U.S., doesn’t provide as much of a buffer as it once did. Terror attacks and cyber threats can happen anywhere.

Should we be worried?

It depends on your perspective. Natural disasters and weather-related crises are definitely on the rise, so being prepared to hunker down at home for a few days after an emergency (or flee before one, if authorities advise that route) is just good planning. And keeping your cybersecurity defenses up is always smart given today’s threat environment.

But if you are hearing lots of panic about a new 90-day guidance from the government, remember that this applies to military bases, not the public. If anyone on your social media feed is encouraging you to prep an underground bunker with food and supplies for a coming three-month emergency, be circumspect, especially if they are selling something.

Should ordinary people be prepping for a 90-day emergency?

No. The U.S. government’s official advice remains the same: Three days’ worth of supplies is sufficient. Other countries also give recommendations of days, not months. Plus, groceries are expensive right now! Unless you have the space and money to bulk-buy food and water, do what makes you most comfortable.

What kinds of supplies should you always have on hand?

Whether you prep for three days or 90, these are the things you should keep in your emergency preparedness kit:

• Water: 1 gallon per person, per day
• Nonperishable food: three days’ worth of food that never expires
• First aid kit
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Dust masks or respirators
• Phone chargers and backup batteries
• Weather radio
• Manual can opener and basic tools
• Personal sanitation: trash bags, twist ties and moist towelettes
• Medication

You can find other ideas for your personal prepper kit at Ready.gov/kit.

Sources:

• Ready.gov: “Build a Kit”
• Be Ready: “Are you emergency ready?”
• The Washington Post: “Japan launches a new national agency to deal with disasters”
• Fortune: “Pentagon orders bases to plan for 90 days without the grid as Britain urges families to stockpile food and water”
• DSB: “How to contribute to Norway’s emergency preparedness”
• Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance: “Planning ahead for crises and disasters”
• The Guardian: “Every Briton should stockpile water and food supplies, government advises”
• United Nations: “Number of internally displaced breaks new record with no let-up in conflicts, disasters”
• The Guardian: “What is PHP and how serious is the computer language flaw causing website shutdowns?”
• Swedish Civil Defense and Resilience Agency: “Download or order the brochure In case of crisis or war”

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