Power Outage Checklist and Survival Kit for Your Home

Your power outage checklist, made to fit your home

Answer the four questions below, gather the core list, then add the sections that apply to you. Items marked "All homes" apply to everyone. Gathered together, this is your power outage survival kit. Tap each item as you gather it, or print the list; this device keeps track of what you have.

Four questions before the list

1. How is your home heated? Go to the heating add-ons.
2. Where does your water come from? Go to the water add-ons. If you are on a well, see when a generator is worth it.
3. Does anyone take prescription medicine or rely on a powered medical device? Go to the medicine and device add-ons. If anyone relies on a powered device, see when a generator is worth it.
4. Who else are you planning for? Go to the add-ons for babies and pets.

What the first 4 hours and the first 3 days ask of you

BePrepared read the utility outage maps we collect for about six days, ending November 7, 2026. Of the 11,058 outages that had ended, 85.7% were over within 4 hours and 161 lasted 12 hours or more. That is not a national sample or a storm season, and outages still running at the end are not counted. Short outages are common in those figures, but long ones happen, so the list covers both.

For the first 4 hours, keep lights and phone power within reach and the fridge and freezer closed. With the doors shut, the CDC says food stays safe for up to 4 hours in a refrigerator and 48 hours in a full freezer.

For the first 3 days, plan as if the power stays off. The CDC’s minimum for stored water is 3 days, and this guide uses 72 hours as its planning window. See what each outage length means for how your response changes as the hours pass.

Print it, post it, check it

Print the list and post it where you can find it in the dark, such as inside a kitchen cabinet door. Cross out what does not apply, so the page describes your home. We suggest ten minutes once a month. The agencies do not set a monthly schedule, but FEMA says to check supplies regularly and before predicted extreme weather.

Every month:

• Charge every battery pack and try every flashlight.
• Test carbon monoxide alarms. The NFPA says at least once a month.

Less often:

• Every six months, replace water you stored yourself, as Ready.gov and the CDC advise.
• Every year, rethink the list as your household changes, as Ready.gov advises. Replace expired items as needed.

Go deeper on one part of the list:

• Food storage during power outages
• Generator vs. power station for winter outages
• Winter power outage essentials
• The complete power outage guide

How BeReady and BeAware fit with this checklist

The checklist covers what to have. BeReady covers who does what with it, and BeAware covers what is happening around your address.

What to do in a power outage: hour 1 through restoration

The first hour sets up everything after it, and the moment power returns can bring surges that damage appliances left plugged in. The steps in between are straightforward if you know them ahead of time.

1. 1

   First 5 minutes

   Verify the outage is not just your home: check a breaker, look at a neighbor’s porch light. Report the outage to your utility by phone, text, or its outage page. Note the time. Enable phone battery saver mode now, not later.

2. 2

   First hour

   Turn off major appliances that were running (dishwasher, oven, AC) and unplug electronics so they are not damaged by surges when power returns. Keep the fridge and freezer closed. Check on neighbors who rely on medical equipment or are elderly.

3. 3

   First 24 hours

   Use your lights, not candles. Use your phone sparingly, not as a flashlight. Follow the fridge rule: with the doors closed, food stays safe up to 4 hours in the fridge and 48 hours in a full freezer. If the outage looks likely to last past 4 hours, move the most perishable food into a cooler with ice. Start non-electric temperature management for the season (layers in winter, shaded rooms and hydration in summer).

4. 4

   Day 2 to day 3

   The FDA says to discard refrigerated perishables (meat, poultry, seafood, milk, eggs, leftovers) that have been above 40°F for 4 hours or more. If conditions at home become too hot or too cold, the CDC’s advice is to seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter; check with local officials for open warming or cooling centers. Keep monitoring WEA and your utility’s restoration estimate.

5. 5

   When power returns

   Plug appliances back in one at a time; Ready.gov notes that power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage. Check every refrigerator and freezer item individually: when in doubt, throw it out. Reset clocks, the WiFi router, and the modem. Document any damage from power surges for insurance.

Hot weather outage vs cold weather outage

Season changes the stakes as much as outage length does. A 24-hour outage in mild weather is an inconvenience. A 24-hour outage in a heat dome or a deep freeze is a medical emergency for vulnerable household members. Our extreme heat guide covers cooling a home without power and spotting heat illness.

Do I need a generator?

A well-stocked power outage kit is built to carry a household through 72 hours. A generator becomes worth the cost, complexity, and fuel storage in three specific cases:

• Someone in your household depends on medical equipment (CPAP, oxygen concentrator, home dialysis).
• You live in an area where multi-day outages are routine (rural, wildfire PSPS zones, extreme-weather corridors).
• You rely on an electric well pump for water.

Safety rules for any generator:

• Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, or within 20 feet of any window, door, or vent. Carbon monoxide can cause sudden illness and death.
• Store fuel in approved containers outside the home, in a cool, ventilated area, well away from ignition sources.
• Plug appliances directly into the generator using heavy-duty outdoor-rated cords, or have an electrician install a transfer switch. Never back-feed through a wall outlet.

Emergency alerts during a power outage

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) reach your phone during an outage as long as the local cell network is still running, and FEMA says they are not affected by network congestion. The National Weather Service sends its most critical warnings through WEA, including the hurricane, extreme wind, and snow squall warnings that can come before an outage.

You do not need to sign up for WEA, but alerts can be switched off in phone settings, so it is worth verifying:

• iPhone: Settings → Notifications → scroll to Government Alerts and enable every category.
• Android: Settings → Notifications → Wireless Emergency Alerts and enable every category.

WEA warns you about severe weather. Your utility tells you power is out. BeAware puts nearby utility outages, official warnings for your county and state, and FEMA risk data for your address on one dashboard.

Outage duration and what it means

Outage length changes what you need to do. Use this table to calibrate your response as an outage goes on.

Power outage preparedness FAQ

Sources

The safety guidance on this page follows these sources. For food safety and generator use, the CDC and FDA set the rules; if this page and theirs disagree, go by theirs.

• Power Outages — Ready.gov

  Supports: the refrigerator and full-freezer timings — Ready.gov states "The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours" — the generator and carbon-monoxide guidance ("Use a generator, but ONLY outdoors and away from windows"; "Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home"), the power-return step: "Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage.", the alarm guidance ("Install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home"), heating and cooling locations ("Check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you"), and refrigerated medicine ("If the power is out for more than a day, discard any medication that should be refrigerated, unless the drug’s label says otherwise").

• Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: the food-safety windows on this page: "If the doors stay closed, food will stay safe up to: 4 hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer, 24 hours in a half-full freezer."

• What to Do to Protect Yourself During a Power Outage — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: the no-candles rule ("Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, rather than candles, gas lanterns, or torches to minimize the risk of fire"), the too-hot-or-too-cold advice ("If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter"), the fan warning ("While electric fans might provide some comfort, when temperatures are really hot, they won’t prevent heat-related illness"), the power-line rules ("Never touch a fallen power line. Do not drive through standing water if downed power lines are in the water"), and the vehicle rule ("Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage").

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: the gas-stove answer: CO "is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning"; "Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires"; "Never heat your house with a gas oven."

• Wireless Emergency Alerts — FEMA

  Supports: the WEA explainer: "WEAs are not affected by network congestion" and "Wireless Emergency Alerts are not subscription based".

• Weather warnings on the go! (Wireless Emergency Alerts) — National Weather Service

  Supports: which NWS warnings go out as WEA: "Warnings for Tsunamis (see Fact Sheet), Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm (only when the damage threat is destructive), Flash Flood (only when the damage threat is considerable or catastrophic), Hurricane, Typhoon, Storm Surge, Extreme Wind, Dust Storm and Snow Squall."

• Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

  Supports: the discard rule: "Discard any refrigerated perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, eggs, or leftovers) that has been at refrigerator temperatures above 40°F for 4 hours or more." It also supports the thermometer item: "Make sure you have appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer."

• Water — Ready.gov

  Supports: who may need more water ("Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water") and replacing stored water ("Water that has not been commercially bottled should be replaced every six months").

• Build A Kit — Ready.gov

  Supports: keeping a kit current: "Re-think your needs every year and update your kit as your family’s needs change" and "Replace expired items as needed."

• How to Create an Emergency Water Supply — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: storing at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days, a 2-week supply if possible, more for pregnant women, sick people, pets or hot climates, and replacing self-filled containers every 6 months.

• Be Prepared for a Power Outage — FEMA / Ready.gov

  Supports: checking the kit: "Check your supplies regularly and before predicted extreme weather events."

• Safety Guidelines: During & After a Winter Storm — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: closing off rooms, covering windows at night, and using fireplaces and wood stoves only if they are properly vented to the outside.

• What Is A Furnace? How Gas Furnaces Work & Heat Your Home — Carrier

  Supports: the gas-furnace item: "a gas furnace needs electricity to power the blower fan, the electronic ignition, and the internal control board."

• Furnace Not Igniting? — Trane

  Supports: the same item: a furnace "still needs electricity to operate the blower fan, blower motor, electronic ignition system, control board, and more."

• Heat pumps work with generators — Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US

  Supports: switching some heat pumps to other power: its systems "can be switched to run on solar, batteries, or generators when your home has a power outage."

• Wood-Burning Installation and Maintenance — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Supports: the yearly inspection: "Fire officials recommend getting your wood-burning appliance, chimney, and vent professionally inspected each year".

• Best Wood-Burning Practices — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Supports: keeping stove doors closed: "Keep the doors of your wood-burning appliance closed unless loading or stoking the live fire."

• Frequent Questions about Wood-Burning Appliances — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Supports: pellet stoves: "Unlike wood stoves and fireplaces, most pellet stoves need electricity to operate."

• Carbon Monoxide safety — National Fire Protection Association

  Supports: testing alarms: "Test alarms at least once a month".

• Incident Action Checklist: Power Outages — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Supports: city water: losing grid power at water utilities "may include pressure losses and boil water advisories".

• Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  Supports: boiling: "Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute. At altitudes above 5,000 feet (1,000 meters), boil water for three minutes."

• Private Wells after a Wildfire — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: the well items: the page is written for wildfires, and covers contamination risk from lost power or pressure, considering a generator, and having a licensed well contractor, electrician or power company size it.

• How to Prepare for Planned Water Outages — Seattle Public Utilities

  Supports: flushing: "A toilet will flush when approximately a gallon of water is dumped into the bowl."

• Urban Flooding: Guidance for Homeowners and Renters — FEMA

  Supports: sump pumps: "You would need to add battery storage or a generator if you want the sump pump to work during a power outage."

• Building Back Safer and Stronger — FEMA

  Supports: a sump pump with a battery or water-powered backup system.

• Information Regarding Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products in an Emergency — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

  Supports: insulin: products in manufacturer vials or cartridges "may be left unrefrigerated at a temperature between 59°F and 86°F for up to 28 days and continue to work", and "Do not use insulin that has been frozen."

• Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

  Supports: refrigerated medicines: "Have a cooler and ice or frozen gel packs available", check the storage instructions or contact a pharmacist, provider or manufacturer, and life-sustaining medicine "may be used until you can get a new supply."

• Building an Emergency Kit — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: keeping at least a one-week supply of prescription medicines and a cooler for refrigerated ones.

• People with Disabilities — Ready.gov

  Supports: medical devices: talking to your doctor about keeping electric equipment running, "Purchase an extra battery for a power wheelchair or other battery-operated medical or assistive technology devices", "Keep extra batteries charged at all times", a backup oxygen supply, device serial numbers, knowing more than one facility, and asking your power provider "to put you on a list for priority power restoration."

• Medically Essential Service — Florida Power & Light

  Supports: the limit of utility programs: "enrollment in the Medically Essential Service program does not guarantee uninterrupted power or priority restoration after a storm."

• Critical Care Customers — CenterPoint Energy

  Supports: the same limit: "Registration provides advance notice of planned outages but does not guarantee priority restoration during unplanned outages or emergencies."

• Prepare and Store Powdered Infant Formula in an Emergency — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: ready-to-feed formula as the safest option, bottled water for mixing until the tap is declared safe, and fresh formula for every feeding without a working refrigerator.

• Special Considerations for Emergencies — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: unopened ready-to-feed formula, discarding opened or prepared formula after 4 hours without power, and the rules for frozen and thawed breast milk.

• Feeding Your Child Safely During a Disaster — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: electric breast pumps possibly being unusable in an outage.

• Prepare Your Pets for Disasters — Ready.gov

  Supports: several days of pet food and water, an extra supply of medicine in a waterproof container, and "Review your kits regularly".

• Pet emergency checklist — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Supports: "2-week supply of food for each animal" and "2-week supply of water for each animal".

Deep dives from our article library

Each of these goes deeper on a single part of power-outage preparedness than a single page allows.

For longer outages, read the grid-down and long-outage guides. You can also set up BeAware email alerts for river levels, wildfire distance and air quality.

Complete Power Outage Survival Guide

Goes deeper on every section on this page, with concrete household-size math and a seasonal preparation calendar.

Food Storage During Power Outages

The 4-hour fridge window and 48-hour freezer window explained item by item. Exactly which foods to save first, which to discard immediately, and which survive longer than you think.

Generator vs. Power Station: Which Is Best for Winter Outages?

Real capacity math, runtime data, and cold-weather performance metrics. The "do I need a generator?" section above, with the numbers worked out.

Winter Power Outage Survival: Essential Items Checklist

Winter-specific gear to add to the checklist above, item by item.

How to Create a Backup Power Plan for Winter Storms

How to plan backup power for a multi-day winter outage: prioritization, sequencing, and cold-weather fuel storage.

Non-Electric Alternatives for Daily Life

Can openers, hand tools, French presses, analog clocks. The manual substitutions that keep a household functional when the grid does not.