WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT · COOLING
Summer outages are the most dangerous kind. Heat illness moves fast, especially for the people already most vulnerable. Here's how to manage a hot house, who to watch closely, and when to leave.
KNOW THE SIGNS
Heat exhaustion can become heat stroke in under an hour. Heat stroke kills. Knowing the difference between the two — and acting correctly on each — is the most important thing on this page.
TREAT AT HOME
What to do
Move to a cool place. Have the person sip cool water. Apply cool, wet cloths to skin. Fan them. If symptoms worsen or don't improve in 30 minutes, call 911.
CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
What to do
Call 911. Cool the person immediately with ice packs to neck, armpits, and groin. Move them to shade or the coolest available space. Do not give fluids to someone who is confused or unconscious.
CHECK ON THESE PEOPLE FIRST
Check on elderly neighbors and family members within the first two hours of a summer outage. Don't wait to be asked.
MANAGE THE HEAT
An indoor space that starts at 78°F when the power goes out will reach dangerous temperatures for vulnerable people within hours on a 95°F day. These strategies buy time.
Close blinds, curtains, and shades on every sun-facing window. Blackout curtains make a meaningful difference — a south or west-facing window without shading can raise room temperature by 10–15°F. Aluminum foil taped to windows works if curtains aren't available.
When outdoor temperature drops below indoor temperature — usually after 9 or 10 p.m. — open windows on opposite sides of the house to create cross-ventilation. A box fan in one window blowing out while another window is open pulls cool night air through. Close everything before the outdoor temperature rises again in the morning.
Heat rises. A basement or ground floor can be 10–20°F cooler than an upper floor or attic during a hot day. If the house has a basement, concentrate household members there during the hottest hours. A basement floor or ground-level room is always the coolest space available.
Evaporation cools effectively. A wet bandana on the neck or wrists cools the blood passing through pulse points. A spray bottle of cool water used regularly is more effective than most people expect. A cool (not cold) shower or bath lowers core temperature quickly and the effect lasts for an hour or more.
Incandescent and halogen bulbs generate significant heat. LED bulbs do not. During an outage, avoid running any heat-producing appliances even if you have generator power. Cook outside on a propane or charcoal grill to keep cooking heat out of the house entirely.
Thirst is a late indicator of dehydration. By the time you feel thirsty in heat, you're already mildly dehydrated. Drink water consistently — about 8 oz every 20 minutes during physical activity or sustained heat exposure. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which accelerate dehydration.
BATTERY FANS
A fan doesn't lower room temperature — it increases the rate of evaporative cooling from your skin. In a humid environment above 90°F, airflow still helps but is less effective. In dry heat, a fan with a wet cloth draped over the front provides meaningful cooling.
Battery-powered fans range from small USB desk fans drawing 5W to full-size box fans designed for battery station use drawing 40–60W. A USB fan running from a power bank provides personal cooling for many hours. A full-size fan on a battery station provides room airflow and is one of the best uses of battery capacity during a summer outage.
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WHEN HOME ISN'T SAFE
Using a cooling center is not a last resort — it is the right call when indoor temperature is rising and vulnerable household members are present. Most are free and require no registration.
Call 211 — the social services information line available in most US states. Tell them you need cooling center locations. This number works from a cell phone during any outage as long as cell service is available.
Your county emergency management website and local government social media accounts list active cooling centers during declared heat emergencies. The Red Cross Safe and Well page and local news radio also announce locations.
When a heat emergency is declared, libraries, community centers, shopping malls, senior centers, and schools typically open as cooling centers. Many stay open through the night during extreme heat events.
Go when indoor temperature reaches 90°F with any vulnerable household members present — elderly adults, infants, young children, or anyone with a chronic health condition. Don't wait for symptoms.
A library or air-conditioned public building is also an option during daytime hours without a formal cooling center declaration. Spend the hottest hours of the day (noon to 6 p.m.) somewhere with working AC if your house is not cooling down.
Check on neighbors who live alone, especially elderly ones. Many heat-related deaths during power outages are isolated adults who did not ask for help or did not realize how quickly their condition was worsening.
Indoor temperature at or above 90°F with children, elderly adults, or anyone with a medical condition present is the threshold. A healthy adult can tolerate more — a two-year-old or an 80-year-old cannot.
Staying home to guard belongings is not worth a heat-related medical emergency. A cooling center, a hotel, or a family member's home with AC is the right call when the house is not safe.
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