The Power-Out Weekend Drill
Practice a planned power outage at home for a day so you find the gaps while it's easy to fix them.
⚠ Drill rules: no fumes indoors, no candles
Never run a generator, grill or camp stove inside your home, garage, basement or on a closed porch. Keep generators at least 20 feet from the house.[2] Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that can make you sick or kill you, so have battery-powered or battery-backup CO alarms on every level.[2] Use flashlights, not candles.[1][3]
A real outage can affect lighting, heat, cooling, cooking, phones, refrigerated medicine and medical equipment all at once.[1] A planned practice run lets you find out what breaks on a calm weekend, with the stores still open and the lights a switch away.
How much do I need?
Plan lighting at one flashlight per person plus one spare: a household of 4 needs 5. For phones, keep at least one charged power bank per phone. For food timing: you get about 4 hours from a closed fridge and about 48 hours from a full freezer (24 if half full), so a 24-hour outage means fridge food needs a cooler with ice or a plan to eat it first.[1]
Set up the drill
- Pick a weekend with mild weather. Skip it if someone in your home relies on powered medical equipment and doesn't have a working backup.
- Pick a length. 24 hours is a good first try; do a whole weekend once you're comfortable.
- Tell everyone the rules: no lights, outlets, TV, Wi-Fi or electric stove. Only use what you'd have in a real outage.
- Leave the fridge, freezer and any medical devices plugged in. You're testing your plan, not risking food or health.
How to "cut" the power
The simplest, safest way is to just not use anything electric: lights off, nothing plugged in or switched on. That's enough for a useful drill.
If you already know where your main breaker is and feel comfortable, you can switch off the circuits you don't need. Only do this if it's dry and safe, and don't switch off the fridge or freezer. If you're unsure, skip it. If a breaker trips when you turn things back on, the Red Cross says to have an electrician check it before switching it back.[1] Leave the gas alone: once gas is shut off, only a qualified professional can turn it back on.[1]
Keep food safe
Keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as you can. A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full one for about 24 hours.[1] Put a thermometer in each. Food that's been warmer than 40°F should be thrown out.[1] Eat fresh, perishable food first.[1]
See what breaks
Go room by room and note what stops working. The Red Cross suggests listing your electrical needs and thinking about backups or non-powered options for each.[1]
- Medical: devices and refrigerated medicine. Talk with your doctor or device provider about a plan.[1]
- Phones: how long do your power banks last? Do you have a corded phone?[1]
- Heat and cooling: if it gets too hot or cold, where would you go?[1]
- Water: if you're on a well, the pump stops without power. How much water do you have stored?
- Cooking: what can you eat without a stove? Any outdoor stove or grill stays outside, at least 20 feet from windows.[1]
- Lighting: do you have enough flashlights and batteries for everyone?[4]
- Locks and doors: electric garage doors, smart locks, elevators.[1]
Your gap log
Print this or copy it onto paper and fill it in as you go:
- ☐ Time drill started / ended: ______
- ☐ First thing we missed: ______
- ☐ Lighting: enough flashlights and batteries? Y / N. Need: ______
- ☐ Phones: hours until first phone died: ______
- ☐ Radio: did we get local news and weather? Y / N
- ☐ Food: meals made without power: ______ Missing: ______
- ☐ Water: gallons used: ______ Gallons stored: ______
- ☐ Heat or cooling problems: ______
- ☐ Medical devices or medicine issues: ______
- ☐ Fridge and freezer temps at the end: ______°F / ______°F
- ☐ Smoke and CO alarms have working batteries? Y / N
- ☐ Top 3 things to buy or fix: 1) ______ 2) ______ 3) ______
Checklist
Mistakes to avoid
- Using candles for light instead of flashlights
- Bringing a grill, camp stove or generator inside or into the garage
- Opening the fridge and freezer over and over
- Unplugging the fridge or medical devices to make the drill feel more real
- Flipping the main breaker when you're not sure how, or in a wet spot
- Skipping the gap log, then forgetting what you learned
Do this this weekend
Run a 24-hour drill: lights and outlets off from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, with the fridge and freezer still plugged in and closed. Fill in the gap log as you go, and buy or fix your top three items the following week.
Gear that helps
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- Headlamps and lightsLED headlampKeeps both hands free and is safer than candles in an outage.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Headlamps and lightsBattery LED lanternLights a whole room without fire risk.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersRechargeable AA/AAA batteriesRechargeables plus a charger mean you aren't relying only on what's in the drawer.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersUSB-C multi-battery chargerCharges AA and AAA batteries from a power bank or solar panel when the grid is down.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Power banks and solar stationsHigh-capacity power bankSeveral phone charges in your pocket; keep it topped up.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Power banks and solar stationsPortable power stationQuiet, fume-free battery power you can use indoors for phones, lights, CPAP or a small fridge.Check it (opens retailer site)
Sources
- Power Outage Safety American Red Cross
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Safety Tips American Red Cross
- Candle Fire Safety U.S. Fire Administration
- Severe Weather Fire Safety U.S. Fire Administration
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