Key Takeaways
- Countries that advise stockpiling: Newsweek's list names 33 countries whose governments tell households to keep emergency food and water, 17 of them in Europe.
- How long: The U.K., France, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands advise 72 hours. Sweden and Norway advise about a week, and Germany up to 10 days. The U.S. says several days.
- Dan Bongino: The former FBI deputy director told his podcast audience to take the warnings seriously and cited 30 days of preparedness, ten times the 72-hour advice by WYDE's arithmetic.
- The Pentagon: More U.S. military bases must be able to run on their own for at least three months under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's FORTRESS initiative.
Governments in 33 countries advise residents to stockpile food and water, according to a Newsweek map published October 28, 2026. This week former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino told his podcast audience to take the warnings seriously, and KOMO reported that he warned Americans to have 30 days worth of food and water.
Which Countries Tell Residents to Stockpile Food and Water
Newsweek's list names 17 countries in Europe, three in North America, four in South America, one in Africa, six in Asia and two in Oceania, by WYDE's count. Newsweek tied the advice to war, extreme weather and cybersecurity threats, and the recommended kits are much alike: non-perishable food, water, medicine, batteries, a flashlight and a radio.
Six countries advise 72 hours of supplies: the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands. Sweden and Norway advise about one week, and Germany up to 10 days. Ready.gov, the Department of Homeland Security's preparedness site, says only that supplies should last several days. Britain's advice came in its Be Ready campaign last week, KOMO reported, citing The Guardian.
Related WYDE coverage: The US Says Stockpile Food. It Still Has No Plan for Its $720 Million to Fight Global Hunger, and US Investigates Iran Link as Cyberattacks Hit Water Systems in Seven States.
Dan Bongino's 30-Day Warning Against 72-Hour Advice
"There have been some warnings put out by the UK government and elsewhere about 30 days of preparedness and having food ready and power," Bongino said on his show, according to Mediaite. He told listeners to get an emergency radio, batteries, emergency food, rain collection and water filtration tablets, Newsweek reported. "Your neighbors are not going to have any extra food," he said.
By WYDE's arithmetic, 30 days is 720 hours, ten times the 72 hours Newsweek reported for six countries. It is three times Germany's 10 days and about 4.3 times the week Sweden and Norway advise.
The U.K. figure does not match Bongino's account. Newsweek reported that the U.K. advises 72 hours of supplies, and KOMO, citing The Guardian, reported at least 72 hours. Neither outlet reported a U.K. figure of 30 days, and Bongino did not name the warning he meant.
The Pentagon's 90-Day FORTRESS Goal and the FBI's Response
Bongino also pointed to the military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a recent memo that more U.S. bases must be able to run independently for at least three months if cut off from outside supplies, Newsweek reported, and he unveiled the FORTRESS initiative on September 30. "We don't want to rely on standard civilian municipal infrastructure to run our national defense," Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital.
Benjamin Wilson, an assistant director in the FBI's Office of Public Affairs, told Newsweek that Bongino's FBI tenure should be judged on its crime reduction record, adding that "he has every right to speak for himself as a now private citizen." Bongino announced his resignation from the FBI in December 2025, KOMO reported. Newsweek said it had asked the White House for comment.
People Also Ask
How many countries advise stockpiling food and water?
Newsweek's list names 33 countries whose governments advise households to stockpile food and water, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Mexico and the United States. Seventeen of the 33 are in Europe.
How long should emergency food and water supplies last?
A three-day supply is the most common advice, Newsweek reported. The U.K., France, Canada, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands advise 72 hours, Sweden and Norway about a week, and Germany up to 10 days, according to Newsweek. Ready.gov says several days.
What did Dan Bongino say about stockpiling food?
Dan Bongino, the former FBI deputy director, told his podcast audience to take government stockpile warnings seriously and cited 30 days of preparedness. KOMO reported that he warned Americans to have 30 days worth of food and water.
Why are governments telling people to stockpile food?
Governments cite war, extreme weather and cybersecurity threats, Newsweek reported. The European Commission set out its Preparedness Union Strategy in March 2025, pointing to geopolitical tension and climate-driven disasters.