Power & Light
When the grid goes.
Two weeks is the duration that tests fuel logistics, not just battery capacity. The plan has to include refills, not just stores.
The power & light domain →Grid-down 2-week plan
The 2-week grid-down plan — generator fuel logistics, water sourcing, food without a fridge, and a comms posture that lasts through Day 14.
Two weeks without grid power is the line where a household either has a system or has a problem. The 72-hour plan rides batteries and bottled water; the 2-week plan needs fuel logistics, a refilling routine, food choices that ignore the fridge, and a comms posture that survives the moment the cell carriers' backup batteries die. This is the plan for the household that does not want to evacuate to a relative's spare bedroom on Day 5.
The load-bearing domains
What this combination actually depends on
Every event–duration combination weights the nine domains differently. Here are the two or three that decide the outcome for this one.
Water
Clean, store, source.
Municipal water often fails 24–72 hours into a regional grid event. Stored water plus a refilling source is the spine of two-week readiness.
The water domain →Food
Eat well, store smart.
The freezer is a Day-2 question. The pantry runs Days 3–14. Cooked food without a working stove is the daily-routine challenge.
The food domain →The 2 weeks list
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Common questions
Questions that come up
How much fuel do I need for a generator for 2 weeks?
A 5,000–7,000W inverter generator at part-load burns about 4–6 gallons of gasoline per day if run continuously, or 1–2 gallons per day if cycled (run 4–6 hours/day to keep fridge contents safe and charge devices). Thirty gallons of stored fuel covers two weeks of cycled operation with margin. Use stabilizer; rotate fuel through the car twice a year so it does not go stale.
Will my well work during a long grid-down event?
Only if it has a power source. Most residential wells use a submersible electric pump drawing 1,000–2,500W. A standard generator can run one; a portable power station usually cannot. If you are on a well, your grid-down water plan and your grid-down power plan are the same problem.
How do I keep food from spoiling for 2 weeks without a fridge?
Eat down the fridge in Days 1–2, the freezer in Days 2–4, and run the pantry on shelf-stable food from Day 4 onward. A small 12V or propane fridge powered by the power station or generator can extend perishables. Hard cheeses, cured meats, root vegetables, and pickled foods all keep at room temperature longer than people assume.
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Same event, different scope
Other grid-down durations
Same scope, different event
The 2-week version for other events
Run the numbers
How much water and food, exactly, for this duration
The list above tells you what to stock. The calculators below tell you how much — sized to your household and this duration.
Go deeper