Austria's crisis supply: 10 to 14 days
Austria asks for the most of any country we checked. The Austrian Civil Protection Association (Zivilschutzverband) advises planning for at least 10 to 14 days of food and drink, with at least 2 litres of water per person per day. The federal government's blackout guide uses 2.5 litres as its reference, and some experts suggest 35 litres per person for two weeks.
What this means for your household
Set your household size to see the days, water and food the Austria advice adds up to.
Plan for at least 10 to 14 days of food and drink.
Drinking water for 2 people. Official figure: at least 2 L per person per day; the government's blackout guide uses 2.5 L.
Person-days of food to cover (2 × 14). Pick food that needs no fridge and little or no cooking.
What a crisis-proof household stores
Buy food you normally eat and use the oldest first. An emergency cooker lets you prepare it without electricity.
- Water: at least 2 L per person per day, about 28 L per person for two weeks, topped up with juice
- Long-life food for 10 to 14 days that you already eat
- An emergency cooker and fuel, used safely
- Torches, emergency lighting and spare batteries
- A battery or wind-up radio
- A first aid kit and a supply of your regular medicines
- Cash, since cards and ATMs fail in a blackout
- Hygiene items and supplies for babies and pets
How Austria warns you
- Warning: a steady 3-minute siren tone. Switch on radio, TV or the internet for information.
- Alarm: a 1-minute rising and falling tone. Seek shelter in a protected place right away.
- All clear: a steady 1-minute tone.
- Siren test: a single 15-second tone, sounded weekly in most areas.
- AT-Alert sends warnings by cell broadcast to every phone in the affected area. No app or registration is needed, and the highest level sounds even when the phone is on silent.
Austria-specific steps
- Austria-wide siren and AT-Alert tests take place on the first Saturday in October. It's a good reminder to check your supplies.
- Plan for a blackout: a long, wide power cut also stops water pumps, heating, phone networks and card payments.
- Current warnings are listed at warnungen.at-alert.at.
Go beyond the minimum: what we recommend
Official lists cover the basics. These are the gaps we see most often when an emergency lasts longer than expected.
- Rotate a long supply: eat the oldest first and replace it, so a week or more of food and water stays in date.
- Keep paper and digital copies of IDs, insurance and prescriptions, so you can prove who you are and get medicines.
- Write the expiry date on everything and check the kit every 6 months, so it doesn't quietly go out of date.
- Plan for phone power: a charged power bank, plus a solar panel or car charger for longer outages.
- Save offline maps of your area and agree a meeting point, in case the mobile network is down.
- An offline survival guide on your phone: HAVEN tracks your kit and expiry dates and works with no signal.Download HAVEN free
Numbers to write down
- 112 · European emergency number
- 122 · Fire
- 133 · Police
- 144 · Ambulance
Keep a paper copy: your phone may be flat when you need it.
Your kit, ready when the network isn't
HAVEN tracks a 14-day supply in litres and days for your household, reminds you before food and water expire, and keeps guides offline on your phone for a blackout.
- Coverage in days for your household
- Expiry reminders
- Offline guides and AI
- Free to start, no account needed
How Austria compares
Austria: 10 to 14 days. Across the 25 governments we checked, most ask for 3 days, a growing group asks for a week, and Austria asks for the most, at 10 to 14 days. See every country's advice.
Austria preparedness FAQ
How many days of supplies does Austria recommend?
At least 10 to 14 days, according to the Austrian Civil Protection Association. That is the most of any country we checked.
How much water should I store in Austria?
At least 2 litres per person per day, so 28 litres per person for two weeks. The government's blackout guidance uses 2.5 litres per day as its reference.
What do the sirens in Austria mean?
A steady 3-minute tone is a warning: turn on the radio. A 1-minute rising and falling tone is an alarm: take shelter. A steady 1-minute tone is the all clear.
Do I need an app for AT-Alert?
No. AT-Alert uses cell broadcast, so warnings reach every phone in the area without an app or registration.
When is the siren test in Austria?
The nationwide test of sirens and AT-Alert is on the first Saturday in October.
Official sources
- Crisis-proof household (Zivilschutzverband)
- Vorrats-Checkliste (Zivilschutzverband, PDF)
- Verhalten bei Blackout (oesterreich.gv.at)
- AT-Alert (Federal Ministry of the Interior)
- Zivilschutz-Probealarm (Zivilschutzverband, PDF)
This page summarises official advice and is not a substitute for it. Always follow the instructions of your local emergency services. Last checked 2 November 2026.