Power outage checklist: before, during and after

An outage is more than darkness

The American Red Cross describes a power outage as something that can last for days or longer, disrupting communications, water, transportation, stores, banks and other services. That is the useful way to plan for one. Losing the lights is the part everyone notices; losing the fridge, the heating, the phone charger, the card terminal and sometimes the water pump is what makes an outage hard. This checklist follows the order of events: before, during and after.

Before: list what runs on electricity

Ready.gov suggests taking an inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity, and planning batteries and other alternative power sources for them, such as a portable charger or power bank. It asks for flashlights for every household member and suggests checking whether your home phone will work in an outage. The Red Cross widens the list: lighting, communication, medical devices and refrigerated medicine, cooking, garage doors, locks and elevators. Walk through the home once and write down what stops.

Before: medical needs

If anyone in the home depends on a powered medical device or refrigerated medicine, Ready.gov asks you to talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan, and to find out how long medication can be stored at higher temperatures, with specific guidance for any medication that is critical for life. The Red Cross adds planning how and when you would evacuate to keep power-dependent medical devices running. This is the part of the plan that cannot be improvised on the night.

Before: alarms with battery backup

Ready.gov recommends carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home. The Red Cross asks for smoke alarms with battery backup on every floor, inside and outside sleeping areas, tested monthly, and at least one carbon monoxide detector on each level. Outages are when people bring generators, stoves and candles into the picture, so the alarms matter most exactly when the mains power is gone.

Before: food, water, fuel and surges

The Red Cross suggests storing non-perishable food and water supplies for at least two weeks, planning to use coolers and ice to extend refrigeration, and keeping a thermometer in the fridge, freezer or cooler to monitor food temperature. It also recommends current surge protectors for household electronics and keeping your car's fuel tank at least half full. A cooler and a thermometer cost little and turn the food decision afterwards into a reading rather than a guess.

During: keep the cold in

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Ready.gov states that the refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened, and that a full freezer will keep its temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary and monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Ready.gov's food page adds that twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a 10 cubic foot freezer below freezing for three to four days. The Red Cross suggests eating fresh, perishable food first.

During: light and appliances

The Red Cross advises using flashlights, not candles. It recommends unplugging appliances and electronics to avoid power overloads or damage from surges when the power comes back, and Ready.gov says the same. Leave one lamp switched on so you notice when power returns. The Red Cross also says to turn off utilities only if you suspect damage or if local officials instruct you to do so, because turning some services back on may require a professional.

Carbon monoxide: the rule that is not negotiable

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that can kill you, your family and pets, in Ready.gov's words. Generators, camp stoves and charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet (about 6 metres) away from windows, doors and attached garages. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home: Ready.gov warns it increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and burns. Its evacuation guidance adds: never run a generator inside a home or garage, or connect it to your home's electrical system.

Generator safety beyond carbon monoxide

Ready.gov lists the other generator hazards. Keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding, because touching a wet generator or devices connected to one can cause electrical shock. Always connect appliances to it with heavy-duty extension cords. Let it cool before refuelling, because fuel spilled on hot engine parts can ignite. If you own one, read its manual before the outage, not by flashlight during it.

When heat or cold becomes the problem

In very hot or very cold weather, the outage itself can become the danger. The Red Cross suggests insulating your home, for example by sealing around windows, and planning to go to a location with air conditioning or heat if needed. It advises evacuating if your home is too hot or too cold, or if you have medical devices that need power, and notes that communities often provide warming or cooling centres and charging stations. Ready.gov warns never to heat the home with a gas oven.

Stay away from fallen lines

The Red Cross advises staying at least 35 feet (about 10 metres) away from fallen power lines and anything they are touching, and calling the emergency number to report them. Ready.gov's evacuation guidance says downed power or utility lines may be live with deadly voltage and should be reported to your power or utility company. A line on the ground gives no visible sign of whether it carries current, so treat every one as live.

After: the food decision

Ready.gov's rule is short: when in doubt, throw it out. Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures of 40°F (about 4°C) or higher for two hours or more, or that has an unusual odour, colour or texture. Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than four hours. This is where the thermometer pays for itself: without a reading, you are left judging meat and dairy by smell, which the rule does not allow.

After: medicines

Ready.gov says that if the power is out for more than a day, you should discard any medication that should be refrigerated, unless the drug's label says otherwise, and consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately for a new supply. The Red Cross likewise says to ask your provider about using refrigerated medicines. The simplest preparation is to know now which medicines in the home need the fridge, and who you would call.

Where Surv fits

Surv's inventory can list the flashlights, batteries, power banks and coolers you rely on, with dates to check them, and its guides are stored on the iPhone so you can read them with no network. But in an outage the phone is itself one of the things running down. Keep a charged power bank, a paper copy of this checklist on the fridge door, and a battery radio for official information.

Further reading

• Ready.gov: Power outages
• Ready.gov: Food
• American Red Cross: Power outage safety
• Ready.gov: Evacuation