What to Do When the Power Goes Out (10 Things to Prepare)
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Our power grid is aging, and with increasing power demands, it’s likely to get worse before it gets better. When the power goes out, you need to be prepared. We’ll help you get ready for short term outages, as well as longer ones that disrupt communications, water and trash pickup.
The power grid is overloaded and under attack. The average age of the U.S. power grid is about 40 years old, with many components beyond their designed lifespan. The average length of power outages has increased in all regions since 2022, from 8.1 hours to 12.8 by the midpoint of 2025.
The US power grid faces daily cyber threats, with attacks on utility companies rising 70% in 2024. While most do not cause outages, critical infrastructure, including energy, experienced 420 million attacks worldwide in 2023. Physical attacks to power equipment are also on the rise.
See “10 Reasons for Power Grid Failure” for more details on what causes power outages.
Table of Contents
- What would happen if the power grid shut down?
- 10 Things You Need to Prepare for When the Power Goes Out
- #1 – Lighting
- #2 – Protect Appliances and Electronics
- #3 – Water
- #4 – Food
- Tips for Refrigerators and Freezers When the Power Goes Out
- #5 – Cooking Without Power
- #6 – Communications
- #7 – Backup Power
- #8 – Heating and Cooling
- #9 – First Aid & Hygiene
- #10 – Garbage
- Know How to Get in and Out of Buildings without Power
- Team up in a Grid Down situation!
What would happen if the power grid shut down?
Sure, there’s the obvious stuff that happens without electricity – no lights, trouble with heating and cooling, and so on. If the power grid goes down longer, water, sewer, communications, and natural gas will also fail eventually. Without a plan in place, most of us would be in bad shape with an extended grid outage.
Businesses that are open may only be able to take cash, or only take credit. It’s good to have both on hand, especially small bills.
10 Things You Need to Prepare for When the Power Goes Out
Report your outage to the local utility so they know that service is down. Provide any information you may have about power line damage to speed up repairs. Some utilities allow you to check for known outages.
Here are 10 things you can do to be better prepared when the grid goes down.
#1 – Lighting
Make sure you can see when the power grid fails! We keep flashlights in each bedroom, near the electrical panel, around the house, and in each vehicle. A crank powered flashlight is great to keep kids busy and serves double duty as a light and backup charger. You can check out some of our favorite flashlights here.
Flashlights are great, but they only work with well charged batteries. If possible, standardize your flashlights and other battery gear on AA, AAA and/or 18650. We outline our top picks for batteries and chargers here.
Be careful if you opt for fire based light sources. Never leave candles or oil lamps unattended. They may create a fire hazard and fresh air may be a problem if you are in a tightly sealed building.
#2 – Protect Appliances and Electronics
Use surge protectors or unplug appliances and sensitive electronics when the power goes out. This helps to eliminate damage from power surges when the grid comes back online. You may want to leave a light on to indicate when power is available.
Pay special attention to:
- Computers
- Routers
- TVs
- Medical devices
#3 – Water
Keep a couple cases of water bottles around for emergency power outages. It’s best to rotate your water storage to keep it fresh and avoid container failure. We also have a 55 gal drinking potable water drum with a pump and a roller base for emergencies.
If you suspect power might go out for a long time, fill your bathtubs, your sinks, and other containers. When the grid is down, save dirty wash water in a bucket and use it for flushing toilets.
Your water heater likely won’t work when the power goes out (even gas heaters have electric ignitions). If you have warning before the power goes out, get cleaned up and do dishes or laundry.
Finally, consider good water filters such as larger Berkey or ZeroWater or portable Katadyn or Sawyer. These can take questionable water and make it drinkable. NOTE: pre-filter with a cloth to extend the life of any of these filters.
See Emergency Water Storage and Filtration for a more detailed list of water storage and filtration options.
#4 – Food
Have a minimum of 3 days of food for everyone in the family – including pets. More is better. Stockpile non-perishable food you regularly eat when it is on sale to save money. If you stock what you eat, it makes it easier to rotate your stock to keep it fresh.
During recent winter storms, friends faced extended power outages and closed roads. People in their area posted pleas for food and water on social media. Don’t be unprepared – stock up in advance.
Tips for Refrigerators and Freezers When the Power Goes Out
When the power goes out, keep doors of freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible. Make a list of what you need to grab and get it all quickly then close the door.
A chest freezer holds the cold better than upright refrigerators and freezers. A full freezer will hold temperature for about 48 hours (depending on the outside temperature). If the freezer is half full, it’s only likely to keep food frozen 24 hours.
If your freezer is not full, fill the extra space with jugs of water. 2 liter soda bottles or plastic vinegar jugs work well.
Don’t fill the bottles all the way to the top. (Water expands as it freezes.) The frozen bottles of water also provide a backup source of drinking water as they thaw.
Refrigerators keep food cold for about 4 hours. A cooler with ice will keep perishable food better than a refrigerator for longer outages.
Fruits and vegetables are more forgiving than meat and dairy. Use common sense, if it looks bad or smells bad do not eat it. If your choose to eat something that is questionable – cook it thoroughly. When in doubt, throw it out.
FDA Food Safety guidelines note:
Before using any foods, check your refrigerator and freezer thermometers. If the fridge is still at or below 40°F (4°C), or the food has been above 40°F for only 2 hours or less, it should be safe to eat.
Frozen food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be safely refrozen or cooked.
If you’re unsure how long the temperature has been at or above 40 degrees, don’t take a chance. Throw the food out.
FDA
#5 – Cooking Without Power
Learn how to cook a meal without power BEFORE the power goes out. Outdoor grills work well if the weather cooperates. Keep a stock of charcoal or propane, as needed. (Make sure you have matches or a lighter to light a candle or start a charcoal grill.)
Indoor natural gas or propane stoves may or may not work when the power is out. Many gas stoves have an electric ignition, but you may still be able to light burners with a lighter or match.
Small butane stoves are great for cooking simple meals indoors, and store in a space about the size of a briefcase. NOTE- Camp stoves may not be safe for indoor use. Check before you fire up.
See Emergency Cooking – Have a Hot Meal When the Power Goes Out for more information on cooking without electricity.
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#6 – Communications
Conserve your cell phone battery by dimming the screen and closing apps. Get a solar charger, and/or car charger, Anker Battery Pack and/or crank USB Radio and charger. Test your charger and batteries when you change your clocks at daylight savings in the spring and fall.
Assume you might not have 911 or internet. Have a list of key phone numbers written down or printed out. Have LOCAL PAPER MAPS, so you can get where you are going even if a few roads are out and your GPS isn’t working. Paper is handy to take notes.
A crank powered radio that can listen to emergency broadcasts is also good to have on hand.
For more info on emergency communications:
#7 – Backup Power
Generator: If you have the funds, consider purchasing a portable generator. Remember, you will need to learn how to use it, and should test it regularly. We purchased a Champion Dual Fuel (propane and gasoline) generator.
You will need a heavy duty extension cord to power your appliances with a portable generator. Alternatively, you can hire an electrician to hard-wire your backup generator to your home’s electrical system.
If you hard wire your generator, you need to isolate it from the grid during a power outage. You do not want to accidentally electrocute a power company lineman who thinks your service is down.
Gasoline-powered portable generators are the most common type due to their affordability, high power output, and widespread availability. For rural areas we recommend propane. It lasts indefinitely and you can store it onsite in a 500 or 1000 gal tank.
Solar electric is more expensive than a generator, but doesn’t need fuel. Even with solar, a generator provides backup at night and during low light conditions (like when it’s storming).
Many grid tie solar electric systems only work when the grid is up and have no on site storage. They have an automatic shutoff that kicks in when the grid goes down to avoid electrocuting line workers.
See Emergency Power Options for Your Home for more information on providing your own power.
#8 – Heating and Cooling
For people who live in northern climates, consider an indoor safe Mr Heater to stay warm. If you buy one, get extra propane tanks. You might need more than one. If you have a fireplace or wood stove, stock up on firewood.
Check out How to Stay Warm During a Power Outage for cold weather survival tips, and Prevent Frozen Pipes.
If the power grid goes down will natural gas still flow? The answer is “probably”.
Depending on where you live the natural gas pumps may use natural gas, which means they stay online indefinitely. But some use electricity to power the pumps. If your area uses electricity, you will likely lose natural gas. You have to research for your area.
For hot climates, read 12 Best Tips for Keeping Your house Cool Without AC.
#9 – First Aid & Hygiene
Either make your own first aid kit emergency kit or buy one. Don’t forget to maintain a supply of needed prescription medications. Learn CPR training and basic 1st aid training BEFORE you need it. Make sure the entire family is trained, even the squeamish ones.
For more information on first aid:
Do you have one or two changes of chore clothes for each season? An emergency stash of fresh socks and underwear can make a world of difference during an extended power outage.
Nature still calls whether the power is out or not. If you suspect the power will go out, flush your toilets right away (before the power is out). When power grid fails, follow the rhyme “if its yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” for short term outages.
Save water from hand washing for flushing the toilet. Also, don’t forget to stock up on extra toilet paper. Keep some baby wipes on hand for clean ups (but do not flush them).
If toilets aren’t working, use a DIY Emergency Bucket Toilet. Have some wet wipes available for clean up. You can combine a bucket toilet with a folding commode chair for those who cannot squat.
With long term grid down situations, toilets aren’t likely to work. Gravity handles the flush (in most cases), but the sewer or septic may rely on power to pump sewage. Know where your poop goes.
Also, if you are low on a sewer line, you may need to turn off your sewer to prevent back flow into your home. Get the shutoff tool and learn about septic/water shutoff BEFORE an emergency.
#10 – Garbage
Work out a plan for garbage and dealing with disrupted garbage pickup. If you use paper plates and plastic silverware so you have less or no dish washing, that means more garbage.
How many large garbage bins could you set aside for water, or refuse, or cleanup, or garbage? What about critters coming around (rats, possums…) if you have a lot of garbage?
If you need to burn garbage, build a burn barrel that burns safe and clean (and make sure it is legal to burn in your area).
Know How to Get in and Out of Buildings without Power
Learn how to get in and out of buildings. Practice at home, work and other frequented buildings. Locate stairwells and learn how to get to them. If the power is out, elevators probably won’t work.
This seems simple, but try it at least once to make sure you can find your way with the building totally dark and with only a flashlight. This is a good reason to have a flashlight at work and/or on your keychain.
Team up in a Grid Down situation!
A prepared group is much better than a prepared individual. Some may have first aid skills, camping experience, self-defense training, and so on. A team has far more skills and resources than an individual.
Think about group communication, like local walk-talkies or ham radio for talking to the team. Maybe there’s a designated gathering location. A deck of cards and a couple board games can help to pass the time when you’re not actively working.
For most of us it’s not a matter of if the power grid fails, it’s a matter of WHEN and for how long. We all need to prepare for power grid failure. Many of the tips shared here are a good idea for general preparedness as well as power outages. We always need food, water and shelter.
Has grid stability been a problem in your area? What’s your biggest concern if the power grid goes down for an extended time?
This post was written by August Neverman IV. August has a strong background in emergency preparedness. He served on several emergency preparedness teams during his tenure at Brown County WI Government, the Medical College of Wisconsin, HSHS, a 13-hospital system and emergency response training during his time with the Air Force and Air National Guard. Learn more about August.
Originally published in 2016, last updated in 2026.
Awesome. Thank you.
Among the products I keep on hand are shower wipes. These are larger wipes used for backpacking, distance cycling, distance sports events, camping and the like. You can clean your whole body without the smell of a diaper change, and I find I can use them for some non-sterile cleanups afterwards. They are available at sports and outdoor stores. (If you really need it, dry shampoo works for longer hair.)
Thinking as if I was going to take an extended outdoor trip helps me think what I need (really need) and can use when the power is out.