What to Do During a
Power Outage in a Storm
The storm itself is often the easy part. The hours or days without power afterward are where most of the real risk — and most of the preventable mistakes — actually happen.
Generator Safety: The Part That Kills People
Portable generators produce carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas. Never run a generator inside a house, garage, basement, or carport — even with doors and windows open. Run it outside, at least 20 feet from any door, window, or vent, with the exhaust pointed away from the home. Carbon monoxide poisoning from generators sends people to the hospital every major outage, and it's entirely preventable with correct placement. Install a battery-powered CO detector if you don't already have one.
Food Safety Timeline
Refrigerator: 4 Hours
A closed fridge keeps food safely cold for about 4 hours. Keep the door shut as much as possible — every open cuts into that window.
Full Freezer: 48 Hours
A full freezer holds temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half-full) as long as it stays closed. If it still has ice crystals or is 40°F or below when checked, it's safe to refreeze.
When in Doubt, Throw It Out
Perishables left above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be discarded. A cheap appliance thermometer removes the guesswork — don't rely on how the food looks or smells.
Conserving Your Phone Battery
Enable Low Power Mode
Cuts background activity and can meaningfully extend battery life. Lower your screen brightness too — the display is one of the biggest battery drains.
Limit Non-Essential Apps
Close apps you don't need for updates or safety. Keep your weather and emergency alert apps running — that's what matters.
Prioritize a Car Charger or Power Bank
A car charger turns your vehicle into a power source (run it in a well-ventilated area, never in a closed garage). A charged power bank should already be part of your emergency kit.
Other Outage Basics
Unplug or turn off major appliances to prevent a power surge from damaging them when electricity returns — leave one light switched on so you know when it's back. Treat every downed power line as live, and stay at least 35 feet away. Check on elderly neighbors and anyone dependent on powered medical equipment; they're at the highest risk during an extended outage.
Water Safety
A prolonged outage can affect municipal water systems, especially if flooding or storm damage compromised treatment or pumping stations — local authorities may issue a boil water advisory as a precaution. If one's in effect, boil tap water for at least one minute (three minutes at higher elevations) before drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth, or use bottled water instead. Keep an eye on local alerts for when the advisory is lifted; water can look and taste completely normal while still being unsafe.
Staying Warm or Cool Without Power
In winter, close off unused rooms to concentrate body heat in one space, and layer blankets rather than relying on a single space heater running off a generator. In summer, a battery-powered fan and staying on the lowest floor of the home (heat rises) can meaningfully reduce indoor temperature. In both cases, check on family members and neighbors who are elderly, very young, or medically vulnerable — they're the most at risk from extended exposure to extreme indoor temperatures during an outage.
Know What's Coming Before the Power Goes
StormCast pushes severe weather alerts the moment they're issued for your location, so you have time to charge devices, fuel a generator, and prep the fridge before the outage — not after.
