Power outage planning

A plan activates what you already have

Ready.gov frames household emergency planning around a core observation: a plan with imperfect supplies still functions, because the plan tells household members what to do with what is available. Perfect supplies without a plan produce hesitation, duplication of effort, and missed steps. During an outage, those gaps compound.

The basic plan for a power outage covers: where to shelter (home, or a friend or family member with heat or cooling); who is responsible for checking on vulnerable household members or neighbors; at what point the household leaves vs. stays; how members will communicate if they are separated when the outage begins.

FEMA's individual preparedness guidance identifies the household communication plan as the single highest-leverage preparation because it functions independent of any supplies. If everyone knows the out-of-state contact, the meeting point, and the decision rule for leaving, those are assets that cannot lose power.

Card readers and ATMs require power

Ready.gov includes cash in its standard emergency kit list specifically because payment infrastructure depends on electricity. Card readers, ATMs, and mobile payment systems all require power, either directly or through network connectivity that depends on powered infrastructure.

In a localized outage lasting a day or two, this matters for fuel and food. Gas stations require power to run pumps and payment terminals. Grocery stores that remain open may be cash-only for the same reason. A household without cash in small bills can have money in the bank and still be unable to buy what it needs.

Ready.gov's financial preparedness guidance recommends keeping a small reserve of cash in small denominations at home. The amount is not specified because it depends on household circumstances, but the principle is having enough for fuel and a day or two of food purchases without a functioning card reader.

Your phone is your primary communication link

Ready.gov recommends keeping phones charged before a storm or outage and having backup battery capacity, such as a portable power bank. During the outage itself, the fastest single action to extend battery life is enabling airplane mode when you are not actively communicating. Airplane mode stops the phone from continuously scanning for cell towers, which is the largest ongoing battery drain.

Additional steps that preserve battery: reduce screen brightness to its minimum usable level; close background applications; disable location services for applications that do not need them during the outage; and turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if they are not in use.

A fully charged phone at the start of an outage, on airplane mode, can last two to three times as long as one running normally. This matters most if the outage extends overnight and a power bank is not available.

The tank is a countdown, not a resource

Ready.gov recommends keeping vehicle fuel above half a tank at all times when a disruption is anticipated. During an extended outage, gas stations require electricity to pump fuel and run payment terminals — many will be offline. The fuel in your vehicle's tank at the start of an outage is typically the fuel available for the duration. Unnecessary trips deplete it. Ready.gov advises consolidating errands, prioritizing medical and resupply trips, and reserving sufficient fuel for evacuation if conditions deteriorate.

In-person welfare checks when phones are down

Ready.gov's preparedness planning emphasizes checking on vulnerable neighbors and family members in person during extended outages rather than waiting for phone contact that may never come. Emergency management welfare check resources are typically reserved for confirmed emergencies. A personal visit confirms conditions directly and allows delivery of supplies, companionship, or assistance. This reflects FEMA's community resilience model: neighbors checking on neighbors is the layer that actually covers the gap before institutional help arrives.

Define your thresholds before you need them

Ready.gov advises households to define personal action thresholds before a disruption — specific supply levels, temperature conditions, or medical needs that trigger a departure decision. An official evacuation order may never come for a prolonged power outage. When multiple thresholds are reached simultaneously — critically low water, food below one day, unsafe indoor temperature, emerging medical need — the household should leave while transportation and options remain. Waiting until resources are exhausted eliminates those options.

Who to trust during a prolonged outage

FEMA's public information guidance places local emergency management as the authoritative source during a declared disaster, followed by utility companies for infrastructure-specific updates. Local officials have access to field crew data and ground-truth conditions. National news covers broad patterns but not neighborhood-level details. Neighbor accounts and social media are useful signals but unverified. NOAA weather radio and local AM broadcast stations with emergency management agreements carry official all-clear announcements and are reliable even when internet and cell service are degraded.