Medical Preparedness · Medical Devices and Power
When to Relocate Before an Event
A decision framework for households with power-critical medical equipment. How to decide between staying with backup power and leaving before the outage starts.
Planning guidance, not medical advice
This page helps you think through the relocation decision before a power outage. It does not provide medical advice or tell you when to leave. That decision belongs with you, your physician, and the specific circumstances of the event. Make the plan now, while there is time to think clearly.
What this guide covers
The hardest decision in medical device preparedness is when to stop relying on backup power and leave.
Staying home with backup power works for short outages. It works when the device has a moderate power draw, the battery is sized for the event, and the household has a generator properly positioned outdoors. But backup power has limits: batteries deplete, fuel runs out, generators fail. There is a point where staying home with dwindling power is more dangerous than relocating while there is still time to travel safely.
Ready.gov advises households with power-dependent medical equipment to talk with their doctor about how to keep equipment running during an outage, and to have a plan that includes knowing when and where to go if backup power is not enough.1 FEMA guidance for people with disabilities and access needs emphasizes planning ahead for accessible transportation, knowing multiple treatment facility locations, and registering with local emergency services.2
This guide provides a framework for making the decision before the event, not during it. A plan made at 2 AM with a dying battery is not a plan. A plan made on a calm Saturday with your physician's input, written down and shared with your support network, is.
What this page does not cover: How to size backup power (see Backup Batteries and Portable Power), generator safety (see Generator Safety for Medical Users), or the overall power outage plan (see Power Outage Planning for Medical Devices).
The framework
Three questions that determine whether to stay or go
These are not clinical questions. They are planning questions you can answer before storm season, write down, and share with your physician for confirmation. The answers create a personal threshold: a set of conditions under which you leave early rather than staying to manage backup power.
How long can your backup power sustain the device?
This is the number you calculated in the backup battery guide: your battery capacity divided by your device's draw, minus the efficiency loss. If you have a generator, add the hours of fuel you keep on hand, but remember that generators require fuel resupply, maintenance, and safe outdoor placement.
Write down your honest backup window. A CPAP user with a 1,000 Wh battery might have two nights. An oxygen concentrator user with a 2,000 Wh battery and a full generator fuel supply might have 12 hours of battery plus 24 hours of generator. Whatever the number is, that is your clock.
How long can the person safely go without the device?
This is a question for your physician, not for this website. The answer is different for every person and every device. A person using a CPAP for mild sleep apnea may tolerate a night without it, though it will not be good sleep. A person on a home ventilator may have minutes. A person on home dialysis has a schedule that cannot slip beyond a defined window.
Ask your doctor: "If my device lost power, how long before my health is at serious risk?" Write down the answer. That number, compared to your backup power window, tells you how much margin you have.
How long is the outage predicted to last?
Weather forecasts and utility company estimates give a range, not a guarantee. A hurricane making landfall may knock out power for days or weeks. An ice storm might cause a three-day outage. A thunderstorm might cause a four-hour outage. The prediction is the best information available, and it should be compared against your backup window with margin.
If the predicted outage duration exceeds your backup power window, relocate before the event. Do not wait until the battery is depleting to decide. Travel may be difficult or impossible once the storm arrives, roads flood, or conditions deteriorate.
The simple rule
If the predicted outage is longer than your backup power window, leave before the event starts. Leaving early is always safer than leaving late.
Where to go
Know your destinations before you need them
Have at least two relocation destinations identified, contacted, and confirmed in advance. Write them down. Share them with your support network. These are the places you can go when your backup power is not enough.
A family member's or friend's home
The most comfortable option. Ideally outside the expected outage area. Confirm that the home has the electrical capacity for your device, and that the host understands the equipment. Visit once with the device to test the setup. This is the option most people can arrange with a phone call, and it should be the first one planned.
A hotel or motel
Call ahead to confirm power status and availability. During widespread outages, hotels fill quickly, especially those with power. Book early if a storm is forecast. Confirm that the room has adequate electrical outlets and that the hotel can accommodate any medical equipment noise (such as a concentrator). Some hotels may have generator backup for their buildings.
A special-needs shelter or medical shelter
Many county and municipal emergency management offices operate special-needs shelters during declared emergencies. These shelters have generators, medical staff, and the capacity to support people with power-dependent equipment, mobility limitations, or medical conditions that a general-population shelter cannot accommodate.2
Most require advance registration. Contact your local emergency management office before storm season to learn whether your county offers this service and how to register. Registration typically involves documenting your medical equipment, power needs, mobility status, and transportation needs. Do not wait for the emergency to discover whether this option exists in your area.
A treatment facility
If you receive regular treatment at a facility, such as dialysis, know the locations of multiple facilities in your region. FEMA specifically recommends that people on dialysis or other life-sustaining treatment know where multiple facilities are located.2 If your primary facility is in the outage area, know which backup facilities can accept you and how to get there.
A hospital emergency department
This is a last resort, not a first plan. Emergency departments during disasters are overwhelmed with acute cases. However, if your device has failed and you are in medical distress, the emergency department is the right place. Call 911 if someone's health is deteriorating because their medical device has lost power.
What to bring
Pack a medical relocation kit in advance
Do not pack this during the emergency. Assemble it now, keep it in a bag by the door, and check it every six months alongside your regular emergency supply review.3
Equipment
The medical device and its power supply. All chargers, adapters, and cables. Backup batteries (charged). Extension cord. A copy of the device's settings (printed or photographed). Manufacturer's support phone number. Backup oxygen cylinders if applicable.
Medications
All current medications in original containers (at least seven days). Over-the-counter medicines your household uses. Your medication list. A cooler with ice packs for any refrigerated medications.
Documents
Your household medical profile. Insurance cards. Photo ID. Physician's contact information. A list of backup treatment facilities and their addresses. Your utility company's medical priority confirmation, if you are registered.
Comfort and basics
A change of clothes. Phone charger and backup battery. Cash. Comfort items for an extended stay. Any mobility aids or assistive devices. Food and water for the trip if travel time is uncertain.
Before you leave: Notify your utility company that you are leaving and that you have power-dependent medical equipment at the address. Notify your physician's office. Tell at least one person in your support network where you are going and when you expect to arrive. If you are registered with your county's special-needs registry, call to confirm shelter availability.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
When should a household with medical equipment leave before a power outage?
When the predicted outage is longer than your backup power window. The less backup power you have, the more time-critical the device, and the longer the predicted outage, the earlier you should leave. Work with your physician to define your personal threshold before storm season. Leaving early is always safer than leaving late.
Where should I go if I need to leave home?
In order of preference: a family member's or friend's home outside the outage area, a hotel with confirmed power, a special-needs shelter operated by your county (register in advance), or a hospital emergency department as a last resort. Know the locations of multiple treatment facilities if you depend on regular treatment. Have at least two destinations identified before storm season.
What is a special-needs shelter?
A shelter operated during declared emergencies with generators, medical staff, and capacity for people with power-dependent equipment or medical conditions.2 Most require advance registration. Contact your local emergency management office before storm season to learn whether your county offers this and how to sign up.
Should I register with my power company?
Yes. Most utilities maintain a medical priority or life-sustaining equipment registry. Registration can result in priority restoration, advance notification before planned outages, and welfare checks during extended outages.1 It does not guarantee your power stays on. Contact your utility provider for details, and see Utility Medical Priority Programs (when available).
What should I bring when relocating with medical equipment?
The device and all power accessories, at least seven days of medications in original containers, your medication list and medical profile, insurance cards, physician contact information, backup oxygen if applicable, a cooler for refrigerated medications, phone charger, cash, and comfort items. Pack this as a ready kit in advance.
Sources
- 1. Ready.gov. "People with Disabilities." U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Accessed September 4, 2026. ready.gov/people-disabilities
- 2. FEMA. "Hurricane Preparedness for Persons With Disabilities and Access and Functional Needs." Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accessed September 4, 2026. fema.gov/.../hurricane-preparedness-persons-disabilities
- 3. ADA National Network. "Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery-Dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices." Pacific ADA Center. Accessed September 4, 2026. adata.org/factsheet/emergency-power
- 4. American Lung Association. "Using Oxygen Safely." Accessed September 4, 2026. lung.org/.../using-oxygen-safely
Who to contact
Your prescribing physician: Discuss your personal threshold before storm season. Ask how long you can safely go without your device and at what point you should seek medical care.
Your local emergency management office: Ask about special-needs shelters, advance registration, and accessible transportation during emergencies.
Your utility company: Register for the medical priority list. Ask about advance outage notification and priority restoration policies.
Your home medical equipment supplier: Ask about backup equipment, portable alternatives, and their emergency contact procedures during disasters.
911: If someone's health is deteriorating because their medical device has lost power and no backup is available.
Related guides
Continue your medical device power plan
Power Outage Planning
The overall framework for when a medical device depends on electricity.
Read the guide →
Backup Batteries and Portable Power
How to size and choose a battery backup for your medical devices.
Read the guide →
Generator Safety for Medical Users
The CO safety rules that do not bend for medical need.
Read the guide →
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
Attributed to Leon C. Megginson, paraphrasing Charles Darwin