Outage food and device triage

01 — Food safety during an outage

A full refrigerator holds safe temperature for 4 hours. A full freezer holds for 48 hours. Keep the doors closed.

• Have a food thermometer accessible — it is the only reliable way to verify whether refrigerated food is still at a safe temperature. Food that has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be discarded.
• Add block ice or dry ice to the refrigerator if available and the outage is expected to extend beyond 4 hours.
• Cook or preserve perishable meats and dairy early in an outage before they become unsafe — prioritize high-protein, high-cost items first.
• Do not rely on smell or appearance to judge food safety — many pathogens that cause foodborne illness produce no detectable odor or change in appearance at unsafe temperatures.
• When in doubt, throw it out. The FDA's guidance is explicit: food that cannot be confirmed as safe should be discarded.

02 — Device priority triage

Limited power means choices. Knowing the priority order before the outage prevents poor decisions made under stress.

When power is limited — from a power bank, portable power station, or vehicle — the order in which devices get charged determines your household's capability over the course of the outage.

1. Medical devices. CPAP machines, powered wheelchairs, insulin pumps, implantable device chargers, and any device a household member's health depends on. These are non-negotiable.
2. Communications. At least one phone charged to receive emergency alerts, make calls, and access information. A basic phone with LTE uses far less power than a laptop — prioritize the most battery-efficient communication device.
3. Safety lighting. A flashlight or power bank with a built-in light. One per sleeping area.
4. Food-critical refrigeration. If a small powered cooler or the refrigerator itself can be run intermittently on a generator to maintain safe temperature, this is next.
5. Other devices. Laptops, tablets, entertainment devices in that order — these are quality of life, not safety.

03 — Medical devices and power backup

Households with powered medical devices need a power backup plan prepared before the outage, not during it.

CPAP and BiPAP machines, home oxygen concentrators, powered wheelchairs and scooters, infusion pumps, suction devices, and implantable device chargers all require reliable power. Most of these devices have power consumption that is manageable with a portable power station — a CPAP typically draws 30 to 60 watts, manageable on a 500Wh unit for 8 to 16 hours — but the plan needs to be in place before an outage.

• Contact your device manufacturer for the power requirements and any travel/battery backup accessories available for your specific model.
• Contact your utility provider — most utilities maintain a medical baseline or life support registry that can prioritize your household for power restoration and may provide advance notice of planned outages.
• Have a backup power source (portable power station, UPS, or generator) sized for the device's wattage and your expected outage duration, with margin.
• Know the nearest location with reliable power if your backup is insufficient for an extended outage — a family member's home, a hospital, or a community resource.

04 — Well pumps and private water supply

A home on a private well loses running water the moment the power goes out — because the well pump is electric.

Most residential submersible well pumps run on 240V electricity. Unlike city water (which is pressurized by the utility), a well pump delivers water from underground only when it is running. When power fails, the pressure tank (a small buffer tank in the house) depletes in minutes of use, and then there is no running water.

This is distinct from a city water connection, which typically continues to flow during an outage as long as the utility's pressurization system (usually elevated storage tanks) remains intact.

• Store at least a 72-hour supply of water before any anticipated outage if you are on a private well.
• Running a well pump from a portable generator is possible if the generator is large enough (most residential submersible pumps require 1,000 to 2,000 starting watts and a manual transfer setup).
• A hand pump installed as a backup on the well casing is the most reliable low-tech alternative for deep wells.
• If the outage is brief (under 4 hours), the pressure tank provides enough water for limited toilet flushing and minimal use — conserve it for sanitation priority.