Power Outage Preparedness

Power outages are the most common emergency in America. The average household experiences 1.5 outages per year, and major outages are increasing due to aging infrastructure and severe weather.

The good news: power outage preparedness is straightforward and affordable.

Before the Outage

🔋 Charging Strategy

• Two battery banks (10,000+ mAh each). Keep them charged. Rotate charging monthly.
• Car charger adapters for all household phones
• Optional: Portable power station (300Wh+ for multi-day outages)
• Solar panel (foldable, 20W minimum) — charges battery banks in sunlight

💡 Lighting

• LED headlamps — hands-free, last 40+ hours. Keep one per person.
• LED lanterns — safer than candles, last days on batteries
• Battery stock: AA and AAA batteries, check expiration yearly
• Skip candles — fire hazard, especially during outages when fire response is slower

🥫 Food & Water

• 3 days of no-cook food — canned goods, peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit
• Manual can opener — electric ones don't work in an outage
• 1 gallon of water per person per day — 3-day minimum
• Fill bathtub when outage is forecasted — non-drinking water for flushing

During the Outage

🧊 Refrigerator Rules

• Keep doors closed — stays cold 4 hours unopened
• Freezer stays frozen 24-48 hours if full
• Group items together (thermal mass helps)
• After 4+ hours: discard dairy, meat, leftovers

📱 Phone Conservation

• Low power mode immediately
• Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, location
• Reduce screen brightness to minimum
• Text instead of call (uses less power)

🌡️ Temperature Management

• Summer: Close blinds, stay in lowest floor
• Winter: Close off unused rooms, layer up
• Never use gas stove/oven for heating
• Never run generator indoors

⚠️ Safety

• Unplug electronics (power surge on restoration)
• Leave one light on to know when power returns
• Report downed lines — stay 35+ feet away
• Check on elderly/vulnerable neighbors

After Power Returns

✓ Check food safety — when in doubt, throw it out
✓ Reset clocks and timers (including sump pumps, thermostats)
✓ Plug electronics back in one at a time
✓ Recharge all battery banks and devices
✓ Restock any supplies you used
✓ Note what you wished you had — add it to your plan

The average outage lasts 7 hours. Most people aren't ready for 2.
A few small preparations change everything.

Power Outage Preparedness — What to Do Before, During & After