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A first-night power outage checklist

Find a working light before you need it, and decide how your household will receive local instructions.

US household planning · source material reviewed September 20, 2026

Begin with the things you can check

• Locate battery-powered lights and test them. Match spare batteries to the devices you actually own.
• Charge available phone power banks and check that you have the right cables.
• Locate a battery or hand-crank radio and note your local information station.
• Write important contact numbers on paper so a flat phone is not your only copy.

These are inventory and organization tasks. You do not need to buy unfamiliar equipment to begin. Put the items together somewhere the household can find them.

Keep fuel-burning equipment out of living spaces

Never use generators inside a home or garage, even with doors open. CDC says to operate them outdoors more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Never use charcoal or a portable gas camp stove indoors, or a gas oven to heat a home. Install battery-operated or battery-backup carbon monoxide alarms near every sleeping area.

Follow equipment instructions. This guide does not provide generator hookups or electrical work instructions. Read the linked CDC precautions before using fuel-burning equipment.

Plan ahead for equipment and care needs

If someone depends on powered care equipment, ask the equipment supplier and care team about approved backup power and alternatives before an outage. Record who can help and the action they recommend. A phone power bank is not proof that medical equipment can be powered.

Next, review food you can use without power.