Power outage prep checklist
Tick items off as you go. Your progress saves in this browser, and the Print button gives you a paper copy for the fridge door.
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Before the outage
During the outage
After the outage
Why a checklist helps
Outages rarely come at a convenient time. FEMA’s Ready.gov advice starts with the same idea this list does: know what you need powered, have a safe way to power it, and plan for food, medicine, and communication before the lights go out. A written list means you are not working it out in the dark.
The three rules that matter most
First, carbon monoxide. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and CDC both warn that generator exhaust can kill in minutes and that CO is colorless and odorless. The generator goes outside, well away from openings, and CO alarms go inside. Second, backfeeding. Plugging a generator into a household outlet can send power back into the utility lines and injure line workers. Use cords to individual appliances, or a transfer switch or interlock. Third, food. FoodSafety.gov advises that a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours and a full freezer about 48 hours (24 if half full), and that perishables above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be thrown out.
Make it yours
Add your own notes on the printed copy: which breakers feed the well pump or the furnace, the generator’s oil type, and the phone number of the utility outage line. Pair this list with the generator size calculator and the fuel run-time estimator.