Power Outage Home Checklist: What to Do Before, During, and After
During a power outage, protect medical needs first, use flashlights, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, stay away from downed lines, and operate generators outdoors at least 20 feet from the home. Evaluate food by time and measured temperature after restoration.
What to know
- An unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours; a full freezer for about 48 hours and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours under ordinary guidance.
- Portable generators belong outdoors at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents.
- Restore major loads gradually and discard perishable food that exceeded safe time or temperature limits.
During a power outage, first determine whether anyone faces an immediate medical, fire, electrical, temperature, or carbon-monoxide risk.
Use flashlights rather than candles, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, never operate a generator or grill indoors, stay away from downed lines, unplug sensitive equipment if power is unstable, and follow utility and emergency alerts.
CDC recommends operating generators outdoors at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents and maintaining working carbon-monoxide alarms. [1]
Before an outage
Lighting and communication
Keep flashlights, spare batteries, charged rechargeable lights, phone power banks, and a battery or hand-crank radio available. Save the utility outage number, write emergency contacts on paper, and enable local alerts.
CDC recommends flashlights rather than candles because open flames add a fire risk during an already disrupted situation. [2]
Food and temperature
Install refrigerator and freezer thermometers. Freeze reusable ice packs and containers of water when space permits. Keep a cooler, shelf-stable food, and a manual can opener available.
A refrigerator should remain at 40°F or below for safe cold storage. Appliance thermometers make the post-outage decision less speculative. [3]
Water
Store at least one gallon per person per day, with a minimum three-day supply and additional water for pets, cooking, hygiene, and medical needs. FDA emergency guidance says a two-week supply is preferable when feasible. [4]
Medical and accessibility planning
Create a backup plan for electrically powered medical equipment, medication refrigeration, mobility equipment, communication devices, and transportation. Investigate utility medical-priority programs where offered. Do not improvise electrical connections for medical equipment.
Generator preparation
Identify an outdoor location, obtain suitable outdoor-rated cords, store fuel legally and safely, install carbon-monoxide alarms, and have a qualified professional install any transfer equipment connecting a generator to household wiring.
Never connect a portable generator to household wiring through an ordinary outlet. Backfeeding can injure utility workers, damage equipment, and energize circuits unexpectedly.
During an outage
Check whether the outage affects one circuit, the whole home, or the neighborhood. Look for smoke, sparks, damaged wiring, or a burning odor. Report downed lines and keep people and pets away from them. Treat every fallen line as energized.
Refrigerator and freezer
Keep doors closed and record when power failed. Do not taste food to decide whether it is safe.
FDA guidance says an unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours. A full freezer maintains temperature for approximately 48 hours, while a half-full freezer lasts approximately 24 hours when the door remains closed. [3]
These are planning estimates, not guarantees. Room temperature, appliance condition, door opening, initial temperature, and food volume matter.
Generator safety
Keep the generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from the home, with exhaust directed away from windows, doors, and vents. Keep it dry and never use a gas oven or stove to heat the home.
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. An open garage door does not make a garage a safe generator location. [1]
Electronics
Unplug sensitive electronics during unstable power, leave one light on as a restoration indicator, avoid overloading a generator or power station, and keep battery packs and inverters ventilated.
When power returns
Confirm power appears stable and restore major loads one at a time. Check for unusual sounds, odors, heat, or leakage. Verify that the sump pump, HVAC system, refrigerator, freezer, network equipment, alarms, and medical devices restarted correctly.
If lights remain unusually dim or bright, appliances sound abnormal, or only part of the home has power, disconnect sensitive equipment and contact the utility or an electrician.
Evaluate refrigerated food
FDA guidance says refrigerated perishable food generally should be discarded after four hours without power or another cold source. Food that remained at 40°F or below may be safe. [3]
Do not rely on smell or taste alone.
Evaluate frozen food
Frozen food may be refrozen or cooked when it still contains ice crystals or remained at 40°F or below, subject to product-specific guidance. Discard food contaminated by floodwater, chemicals, or damaged packaging. [5]
Reset the kit
Recharge batteries and power banks, replace used water and food, restock supplies, record equipment failures, and improve the plan based on what failed.
Seek emergency help when
Act promptly when someone may have carbon-monoxide poisoning, a generator was operated inside or near an opening, equipment is smoking or arcing, a line is down, floodwater approaches electrical equipment, a medical device lacks safe backup power, the home becomes dangerously hot or cold, or fire, gas, or structural hazards are present.
Bottom line
Keep cold-storage doors closed, use flashlights, protect vulnerable people, and operate fuel-burning equipment only in safe outdoor locations.
After restoration, evaluate food by time and measured temperature, restart equipment gradually, and replenish the kit before the next outage arrives with its traditional impeccable timing.
Limits and cautions
- Actual cold-storage duration depends on appliance condition, ambient temperature, food volume, and door opening.
- Local utility, emergency, medical-device, and evacuation instructions take priority.
Source notes
- What to Do to Protect Yourself During a Power OutageCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Power SourcesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers About Food SafetyU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Hurricane Season: Be PreparedU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and FloodsU.S. Food and Drug Administration
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