Power outage guides
Practical, sourced answers to the questions every outage raises — written against USDA, FDA, CPSC, Ready.gov, Red Cross, and HHS guidance, reviewed 2026-07-08. For live conditions, use the outage map.
Is the food in my fridge still safe? The power-outage rules
USDA/FDA food-safety rules for power outages: the 4-hour refrigerator window, 24–48 hour freezer window, the 40°F rule, and what to throw out.
Running a generator safely during an outage
CPSC generator-safety rules: never indoors or in a garage, 20+ feet from the house, carbon-monoxide facts, dry operation, and refueling.
Why is my power out right now?
The common causes of power outages — weather, equipment, animals, planned work, rolling blackouts — how to check if it's just you, and when to call 911.
How utilities decide who gets power back first
The restoration order utilities follow after an outage — transmission, substations, critical facilities, biggest circuits, then individual services — and why estimates move.
Preparing for a power outage (before one starts)
A practical power-outage preparedness checklist from Ready.gov and Red Cross guidance: water, light, power banks, food plan, medication cold chain, and alerts.
If someone in your home depends on powered medical equipment
Backup planning for electricity-dependent medical equipment: utility registries, the HHS emPOWER program, battery backup, and when to call 911. Not medical advice.
See also: research reports · how our estimates are graded · data sources.