Power outage preparedness: before, during and after

Storms, heat waves, wildfires and earthquakes all cut power, sometimes for days. Ready.gov's power outage page covers a lot of ground. Here it is organized as a plan you can follow in order.

Before: what to set up now

• Power for your phone and lights: plan for batteries and other alternative power sources, such as a portable charger or power bank.
• Medical devices and medicines: have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices, and talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan.
• Carbon monoxide detectors: install working CO detectors on every level of your home.
• Appliance thermometers in the fridge and freezer, so you know the real temperature later (FoodSafety.gov).
• Know where to go: check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you.

During: the rules that matter

CDC adds that more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires. Its rule for generators is blunt: never inside your home or garage, even if doors and windows are open. See carbon monoxide at camp for the same risk with camp stoves.

After: food and medicine

• Throw out food that has been at 40°F or higher for two hours or more, or that has an unusual odor, color or texture. When in doubt, throw it out.
• If the power is out for more than a day, discard any medication that should be refrigerated, unless the drug's label says otherwise.

For the full food rules, including refreezing, see Food safety in a power outage.

How Japan approaches it

Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), a government product-safety body, published a 2025 warning about the very products people buy for outages: cassette gas stoves, portable generators and portable power stations. Its message matches Ready.gov's: never run a portable generator indoors or in a shed, car or tent, and don't use gas stoves in cramped spaces like cars used as shelters. NITE counted 21 portable-generator accidents reported in 2020 to 2024, noting that they typically came from indoor use, often hurt several people at once, and had a high share of deaths.

Our checklist

• One flashlight or headlamp per person, with spare batteries.
• Power banks charged, and rotated so they don't sit dead.
• Frozen water bottles filling empty space in the freezer.
• A written list of medicines that need refrigeration and devices that need power.
• Shelf-stable food that needs no cooking; see Rolling stock.