Power outage
A blackout cripples heating, communications, payment systems and the water supply – often over a wide area and for hours to days.
Blackout, severe weather, radioactivity – most emergencies give no warning. PrepperGuide brings together hazard knowledge, verified guides, checklists and all of Switzerland's emergency contacts in one place.
Current hazards and warnings from official feeds — with risk rating, map and links to matching guides.
Overall situation
High
Heuristic overall estimate from several indicators – not a forecast and not investment advice.
The most relevant emergencies for Switzerland – with risk, immediate measures and behaviour.
A blackout cripples heating, communications, payment systems and the water supply – often over a wide area and for hours to days.
Hurricane-force gusts, hail and falling trees threaten buildings, power lines and traffic. Heed the warning levels from MeteoSwiss.
In a nuclear power plant accident, every minute counts. Within the 50 km zone, iodine tablets are distributed as a precaution – only take them on the authorities' instruction.
Heavy rain and snowmelt make rivers and lakes burst their banks. Cellars and underground car parks often fill within minutes.
Switzerland lies in a moderately active zone. A strong quake is rare but possible – damage arises mainly from debris.
Avalanches, debris flows and landslides threaten alpine regions and transport routes. Local situation reports and closures are binding.
Prepared step by step – from emergency supplies to the family plan.
Step by step to a one-week supply – what really belongs in the cupboard and how to rotate it.
Open guideGeneral alarm or water alarm? What the siren tones mean and the first steps.
Open guideBoil, filter, disinfect – drink safely in an emergency.
Open guideLight, warmth, cooking and information without the grid – for 72 hours.
Open guideWho has them, when they work and why only on instruction.
Open guideRoles, meeting points and a plan that even children understand.
Open guideWhat belongs in the bag when you have to leave the house in 5 minutes.
Open guideWhy cash is important in an emergency – and how much makes sense.
Open guideSupplies, transport and an emergency plan for dogs, cats & co. too.
Open guideBefore, during and after hurricane-force gusts, hail and thunderstorms, get through safely: understand warning levels and know when to stay indoors.
Open guideRead warning levels correctly, avoid cellars and underground car parks in time and never through flooded water – before, during and after the event.
Open guideDrop, Cover, Hold On – and make your home earthquake-safe.
Open guideRead the avalanche bulletin, plan tours and respect closures.
Open guideDrink, cool down, avoid the midday heat – and look after vulnerable people.
Open guideSupplies, hygiene and vaccination – stay prepared for months.
Open guideIf you smell gas, only one rule applies: no ignition source, get out, report it.
Open guideHeed danger levels and fire bans – and report fires early.
Open guideOn a chemical alarm: get inside, close the windows, listen to the radio.
Open guideRecognise the water alarm and flee immediately to higher ground.
Open guideBackups, two-factor and some cash – become digitally resilient.
Open guideThe simple principle in an emergency: Run – Hide – Tell.
Open guidePreparedness as for a power outage – plus awareness of GPS and radio disruptions.
Open guideReady-made food comparison – what needs no cooking and water and how long it keeps.
Open guideHow long humans survive without water and food – and why water comes first.
Open guideEvery person in Switzerland has a right to a protected place. Who builds, who pays, how you find your assigned place, and when you really need to use the shelter.
Open guidePower station, solar panel, generator, or power bank – how to calculate your electricity needs correctly and safely bridge a power outage.
Open guideBandaging materials, the right medicines, and supplies that remain complete and shelf-stable in an emergency – how to assemble and maintain a home medicine cabinet.
Open guideHow to cook safely during a power outage and keep a room warm – and why grills, gas stoves, and heaters are deadly indoors.
Open guideAnyone dependent on long-term medication, refrigerated medication, power-dependent devices or mobility aids needs customized preparedness – this guide shows what seniors, chronically ill, people with disabilities, pregnant women and families with infants must consider.
Open guideCanning, fermenting, drying, vacuum sealing, freezing: this is how you preserve food yourself and supplement your emergency supply – without poisoning yourself with botulism, the most dangerous mistake.
Open guideWhether severe weather, chemical accident or power outage: the first step is always the same. Recognize the alarm, inform yourself via radio and Alertswiss, follow the authorities' instructions. This overview guides you to the 13 hazard-specific instructions.
Open guideCar, bike, on foot or even horse? The best transport method in a crisis depends on the scenario – and in a traffic jam, the car is often the worst choice. Honest pro and con analysis with real figures.
Open guideWhen a long power outage knocks out screens – that's when daily routine and analogue activities provide stability. How to keep yourself, children and elderly meaningfully occupied, and how to prepare a simple activity set.
Open guideIf water or power fails, hygiene becomes a health risk within days. Keep hands, body and toilet clean – and build a low-odour emergency toilet in minutes.
Open guideHow to stay warm without heating in winter during a power outage – keep one room warm, insulate your body, and why substitute heaters with open flame indoors are deadly.
Open guideID cards, insurance policies, bank documents: during a fire, flood or evacuation, there is often little time. How to prepare your most important documents, keep them dry and accessible, and back them up digitally.
Open guideWho picks up the kids, where do you meet, how do you contact each other if the mobile network is down? A written family emergency plan clarifies this beforehand – create it once, print it, practise it yearly.
Open guideOfficial aid requires time in an emergency: How Swiss executive bodies make decisions – and why emergency supplies bridge the first days.
Open guideIn Switzerland, investment gold is VAT-free on purchase, while silver, platinum and palladium cost 8.1% VAT. What this means for purchasing, storage and premium – frankly and without promises of returns.
Open guideFalse information spreads faster when it triggers emotions. With the SIFT method, lateral reading, and reverse image search, verify a story in minutes — factually and impartially.
Open guideFake police, prosecutors, or bank employees use panic and pressure to get cash, valuables, or bank cards handed over – sometimes with AI-generated voices. The right response: hang up immediately, call back using the number you know, never hand over money. Clear explanation, with family code word and reporting channels.
Open guideThe STOPP rule is not a Swiss recommendation. What the CAS, J+S and Swiss trail organisations actually say – and why blockage is the most common mountain emergency.
Open guideOrient the map, determine your position, 3-point rule, LV95 coordinates and march time – according to the official J+S teaching material and swisstopo rules.
Open guideHow to properly call for help in the Swiss mountains – alert schema, Swiss Grid, alpine emergency signal, emergency radio 161.300 MHz. And why Rega cannot find you on its own.
Open guidePut together exactly the map of your area at swisstopo: print it free as a PDF (map.geo.admin.ch) or order it as a waterproof mySwissMap – offline-safe for hiking and emergencies.
Open guideCalculate water and food quantities for your household – by people, children and days.
Open toolCreate a personal emergency checklist tailored to your situation.
Open toolTest your preparedness in 14 questions and get concrete next steps.
Take the testPlay through the blackout — every choice counts.
Play the scenarioThe most important first-aid scenarios – emergency call 144.
Get an overview and secure the scene before you help.
Severe bleeding takes priority – stop it first.
Is the person breathing normally? That decides the next steps.
No normal breathing = start chest compressions immediately.
Cool with hand-warm water – and know when it belongs in an emergency.
Cool immediately and call 144 in case of confusion or unconsciousness.
Stay reachable when mobile networks and the internet fail.
HB3/HB9 licences, USKA, getting started with emergency radio.
Learn moreLoRa mesh networks without infrastructure.
Learn moreLicence-free radio for everyone.
Learn moreReference table Switzerland, by band.
Open tableLetters, digits, signs and SOS.
Open tableReady-made templates to check off and adapt.
Calculated for 30 days per adult person – deliberately going further than the federal 1-week minimum, with longer-lasting situations such as an electricity shortage in mind. The quantities work out to a good 3'000 kcal per day (our own calculation), with a reserve for higher needs, spoilage or additional people. Adjust to taste and household – and use up and replace continuously.
Open template · 30 days · per personDrinking, cooking and hygiene – calculated for 30 days. The federal minimum of 9 litres per person covers drinking and cooking for around three days; hygiene, for us, explicitly belongs with it. Our recommendation: 90 L of drinking water per person (3 L per day) plus quantified non-potable water – a combination of stored supply, treatment and collection at distribution points.
Open template · 30 days · per personPower for light, refrigeration and communication. The basis is calculated for 72 hours without the grid, in stages from torch and power bank to solar, power station and a safely operated generator. For longer situations up to 30 days the combination counts: solar charges in summer, the generator bridges winter and bad weather in short charging windows.
Open template · 72 h to 30 daysCooking without electricity and staying warm when the heating fails. We calculate the fuel for 30 days – our recommendation, disclosed as our own calculation – with safe storage and clear ventilation rules. Staying warm means first of all: clothing, blankets and body heat – every open flame indoors follows the safety rules.
Open template · 30 days · cooking & heatReady to grab if you have to leave your home quickly – packed in 30 minutes, with the essentials for 1–2 days away from home. Deliberately not calculated for 30 days: 30 days of water alone would be around 90 kg – the large supply stays at home («Food», «Water & hygiene» checklists). One backpack per person, no heavier than you can carry: every litre of water weighs a kilo.
Open template · Mobile · 1–2 daysA medicine cabinet on two levels: the federal government requires long-term medication «always in stock» but names no duration. Our recommendation: a reserve for 30 days – long-term medication and consumables. For prescription medicines, clarify the quantity and refills with your doctor or pharmacy (prescription validity, cold chain). Check for expiry at least once a year – anything expired goes back to the pharmacy.
Open template · Medicine cabinet · 30-day reserveA document dossier with originals and copies plus a cash reserve – within reach in one place and additionally backed up encrypted in digital form. With the cash we deliberately go beyond the federal rule of thumb: as a voluntary reserve, about one month's budget in small notes and some coins – each household sets the amount itself.
Open template · Folder · within reachSo that small damage stays small – and a fire does not grow large: tools for repairing and sealing, smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher for the home, and protective equipment for clearing up.
Open template · Repair · secureStay informed when the mobile network and the internet fail – with an emergency radio, radio communication and an analogue family plan.
Open template · Stay informedThink of everyone who is cared for too: children, pets and people with special needs. We calculate baby food, nappies and pet food for 30 days like the rest of the supply – deliberately going further than the federal 1-week minimum; aids and arrangements come on top.
Open template · Children · pets · careEmergency numbers, siren signals and official warning apps.
Stay calm, help others, get through together – self-help and psychological first aid.
How to stabilise yourself, stay calm with others and know where to find help in Switzerland – from 143 to the care team.