How to Prepare for an Outage

Make an emergency plan for you and your loved ones.

Assemble a kit to be prepared at any time.

Learn what to do before a severe weather event.

You can't always know when a power outage will happen, but you can take a few simple steps to be ready. Watch this video to learn more:

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Check to ensure that elderly family, neighbors or friends are prepared for the weather. Ensure everyone is aware of the plan and stress the importance of staying calm.
If you have a medical issue and cannot go without power, take preventative measures. If you experience a medical emergency during an outage, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Identify a safe room where all family members know where to go in the event of a severe weather warning. Know where to go if you must shelter in place:

Shelter Type	Safest Location	Avoid
House	Basement or small interior room (bathroom, hallway, closet) away from windows and close doors	Upper floors, rooms with windows
Apartment	Small interior rooms, stairways. Check with your landlord or building management	Elevators, rooms with windows
Mobile Home	Nearby shelter or sturdy building	Staying inside the mobile home
Outdoors	Basement of nearby building or lie flat in a ditch or low area	Vehicles, open areas

Keep these items in an easy-to-reach location:

Flashlights and fresh batteries
Battery-powered radio
First-aid kit with current supplies
Non-perishable food and bottled water. Stock up as needed.
Medications (prepare a cooler for refrigerated meds)
Alternate heating sources, and extra fuel, such as wood for wood-burning stoves and fireplaces

Are you ready for an emergency? Review our checklist.

Charge electronics.
Keep a full tank of gas or a full charge in your vehicles.
Fill your bathtub or purchase extra bottles/jugs of water in case you lose access to water for household chores like flushing your toilet.
Unplug sensitive electronics. If you are home during a severe storm, you may want to unplug sensitive equipment.
Know how to manually open your garage door.
Check on elderly family members or neighbors.
Prepare to cook outdoors if needed. Never bring a grill indoors, without proper ventilation; grills can be deadly
If you have a generator, make sure it's in good working condition. Check that it has enough fuel and has been tested recently. Always operate generators safely and only outdoors.

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