The first hour of a power outage
Most outages end in a few hours. The first hour decides how the long ones go.
Do this now
- Check your breaker panel, then look at the neighbors' houses. Just you? It may be your panel or your service line.
- Report the outage to your utility — don't assume someone else did.
- Keep the fridge and freezer shut. The 4-hour clock is running.
- Unplug sensitive electronics — TVs, computers, the furnace's smart thermostat. The surge when power returns does the damage.
- Switch phones to Low Power Mode now, not when they hit 10%.
Light without risk
Flashlights and headlamps, not candles. If candles are truly all you have, never leave one burning in a room without a person awake in it.
If anyone depends on powered medical equipment
This is the hour to act, not wait: check battery backups, and if a device someone's life depends on has no backup runway, call your utility's medical line and arrange to get them somewhere with power before it's urgent.
Generators kill quietly — every storm season
A portable generator runs outside only, at least 20 feet from any window, door, or vent, exhaust pointed away from the house. Never in a garage, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide from one generator can kill a sleeping family; that is not a scare line, it's the statistic that follows every major outage.
Heat and cold
In winter, pick one room, close its doors, and layer up — you're heating people, not the house. In summer, the coolest hours are your friends: shades down on the sun side, one cool shower beats sitting in front of a dead fan.
Do not
- Don't run a generator indoors or in the garage — not even with the door open.
- Don't use a gas oven to heat the house.
- Don't touch downed power lines, ever — or anything they're touching.
- Don't open the fridge to browse.
Common questions
Should I unplug things during a power outage?
Yes — TVs, computers, and other sensitive electronics. The voltage surge when power is restored is what damages equipment. Leave one lamp on so you notice when power returns.
How far from the house should a generator be?
At least 20 feet from any window, door, or vent, exhaust pointed away — outdoors only, never a garage or basement.
Why did only my house lose power?
Check your breaker panel first. If breakers look fine and neighbors have power, the issue may be your service connection — report it to the utility either way.
Sources — official guidance
Before you lose signal
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