Key takeaways
- Start with required loads and hours, not with a generator or battery advertisement.
- Portable combustion equipment must never be used indoors or in an attached garage.
- Communication, medication, food, water, temperature, and recovery plans need non-electric backups where possible.
Define the outage you are planning for
A two-hour summer interruption, a multi-day winter outage, and a medically dependent household require different plans. Record likely hazards, season, local restoration history, evacuation options, household mobility, pets, well or sewer dependence, and whether cellular service also fails.
Use Ready.gov planning resources for alerts, family communication, kits, and hazard-specific guidance. Follow local emergency and utility instructions during an actual event.
Build a critical-load table
| Need | Record |
|---|---|
| Medical | Device watts, battery runtime, charging, temperature needs, care contact |
| Communication | Phones, radio, power banks, paper contacts |
| Food and medicine | Refrigeration plan, thermometer, ice and discard rules |
| Temperature | Safe room, blankets, shade, ventilation, evacuation threshold |
| Water and sanitation | Well pump, stored water, toilet and hygiene plan |
| Home systems | Sump pump, garage release, alarms, gates, electric locks |
Match backup to measured power and time
For each electric load, record running watts, starting surge, hours per day, and whether loads can be staggered. A power station sized from phone charging cannot support a well pump, refrigerator start, medical device, and heating appliance at once.
Compare usable energy, inverter output, recharge time, battery temperature limits, fuel storage, noise, maintenance, and the safest operating location. Test the actual cables and transfer method before an outage.
Prevent backup-power hazards
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's generator guidance explains that portable generators belong outside and far from the home because exhaust contains carbon monoxide. Follow the equipment instructions and current local emergency guidance.
- Never run a generator, grill, camp stove, or other fuel-burning equipment indoors, in a basement, or in an attached garage.
- Keep operating equipment at the manufacturer- and authority-specified distance from doors, windows, and vents.
- Use a properly installed transfer method; never backfeed a home through an outlet.
- Maintain carbon-monoxide alarms with backup power.
- Store fuel legally and safely, and allow hot equipment to cool before refueling.
Run a dark-house drill
A drill reveals whether the plan can be used by the people who will actually be home. Update it after equipment, medical, household, or seasonal changes.
- 1
Turn off selected circuits safely rather than waiting for a storm.
- 2
Locate lights, shutoffs, garage release, radio, contacts, chargers, and medication without internet.
- 3
Power the critical loads and record real runtime.
- 4
Practice the communication and evacuation threshold.
- 5
Replace failed batteries, expired supplies, inaccessible instructions, and assumptions that depended on one phone.
Evidence record
Sources and methodology
We used primary public sources for the factual framework, then wrote and structured this guide independently. Links are checked during editorial review and when a guide is substantively updated.
- Plan Ahead for DisastersFederal Emergency Management Agency / Ready.gov · Used for: Alerts, communication, kits, and household planning
- Emergency Financial First Aid KitFederal Emergency Management Agency / Ready.gov · Used for: Household records and recovery preparation
- Generators and Engine-Driven ToolsU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission · Used for: Portable-generator placement and carbon-monoxide safety
This article is general educational information, not individualized financial, medical, legal, tax, cybersecurity, construction, or career advice.