Preparing for a power outage (before one starts)
The core kit
From Ready.gov's emergency kit list and the Red Cross power outage guidance: flashlights and extra batteries (not candles), charged power banks for phones, water (at least a gallon per person per day), non-perishable food (Ready.gov says at least a several-day supply; the Red Cross says to store food and water for at least two weeks), a battery or hand-crank radio, and cash (card readers die with the power).
Medication and the cold chain
If anyone in the home uses refrigerated medication (insulin is the common one), know its out-of-fridge tolerance ahead of time from your pharmacist, and have a cooler plan. For powered medical equipment, see our medical-device backup guide.
Freeze water now, thank yourself later
Frozen water containers and gel packs help keep food cold in an outage, the CDC and the FDA say, and the FDA adds that the melting ice also supplies drinking water. The windows they stretch are the ones the USDA gives: up to 4 hours for a refrigerator and about 48 hours for a full freezer (24 if it is half full), with the doors kept closed as much as possible (see our food-safety guide).
Know your outage tools before you need them
Bookmark your utility's outage map and reporting number now — and your county's page on our tracker (search your address once and bookmark the page it opens), which adds an independent restoration estimate when the data supports one, and free alerts. During a real event, enable notifications so restoration news finds you.
The five-minute household drill
Everyone in the home should be able to answer three questions in the dark: where the flashlights live (a fixed spot, not "somewhere"), where you meet if you leave (and who grabs the kit), and how you'll get news (the radio's spot and station). Walk it once — a five-minute rehearsal converts a checklist into a plan.
Know your building
Houses on wells lose water with the pump; many apartment buildings lose booster-pump water pressure and elevators too. If that's you, Ready.gov's water rule — store at least one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation — is your plumbing backup, and stairs-vs-elevator is part of the plan for anyone with mobility needs. Renters: you can't install a standby generator, but a portable power station makes no exhaust, so unlike a fuel generator it can be used indoors. Its lithium-ion battery is not risk-free — the CPSC has recalled and warned about power stations whose batteries can overheat or catch fire — so check your model on the CPSC's recalls page and follow the maker's charging instructions.
Kids, pets, and the long evening
The kit that keeps morale up matters more than it sounds: games and books that need no power, glow sticks (kids love them and they're flame-free), pet food and water to last as long as your own supply, and a comfort plan for anyone who sleeps with white noise or a night light — a battery lantern covers the night light.
Paper survives
Print the short list your phone normally remembers: the utility's outage number and your account number, family phone numbers, and any medical essentials. A phone at 3% is a bad place to store your utility's phone number. Keep small cash with it — card readers and ATMs go down with the power.
The 48-hour warmup when a storm is forecast
When the forecast turns serious, the kit gets a head start: charge every phone, power bank, and device battery to full; freeze extra water bottles; run the dishwasher and laundry while you can; fuel the car (pumps need power) and park it out from under trees; test the flashlights you think work; and pull cash. Twenty minutes of warmup converts a scramble into a plan — and everything you charged keeps its value even if the storm misses.
Re-check on a schedule, not a memory
Kits rot quietly: batteries self-discharge, water containers age out, kids outgrow the comfort items, medications rotate. Put a twice-yearly reminder on the calendar (clock-change weekends are the classic anchor) to test lights, top charges, rotate water and food, and re-read the plan against who actually lives in the home now.
One list, on the fridge
Condense all of the above to a single printed page: kit location, drill answers, utility number + account, out-of-area contact, and the 48-hour warmup list. Preparedness that lives in one household member's head is a single point of failure — the page is the backup.
Surge protection on the return
When power returns after a big outage it can return dirty. Unplug sensitive electronics during the outage; leave one lamp on so you notice restoration.
- Ready.gov — Build a kit
- Ready.gov — Water
- Ready.gov — Power outages
- CDC — Keep food safe after a disaster or emergency
- FDA — Food and water safety during power outages and floods
- USDA — Winter storm food safety guidance (Jan. 2026)
- Red Cross — Power outage preparedness
- CPSC — Recalls and product safety warnings