Power Outages

Power outages can happen anywhere, anytime! They can be caused by storms, accidents, or even too many people using electricity at once. When the power goes out, lights, TVs, and even refrigerators stop working. Sometimes, power comes back quickly, but other times, it can take days. Knowing what to do before, during, and after a power outage can help keep you and your family safe—and even make it a little fun!

Words to Know

Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. It is one of the most widely used forms of energy and helps power the lights, appliances, and even heating and cooling systems in most homes. Electricity is produced by converting sources like natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, and other forms of energy.

A power outage, sometimes called a blackout, happens when electricity stops working—whether at home, in a store, at school, or even in streetlights and other utilities. A power outage can last just a few minutes, or if a disaster happens, power can be out for days or even weeks.

Am I at Risk?

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Power outages can happen anytime, anywhere. In any year, 25% of households may experience a power outage. Power outages can happen for natural reasons like strong winds, heavy rain or snow and falling trees. They can also happen because of an accident like a car crash or because the power system can’t handle how much is used during heat waves.

What Can I Do?

Before

• Have enough food that doesn’t need to be kept cold or eaten hot. Make sure you have enough water because power outages can make your area’s water unsafe to drink.
• Have flashlights and extra batteries for everyone in your home. You could also get battery operated, rechargeable lanterns or head lamps.
• Have a battery powered or hand-cranked radio.
• Think of some fun activities you can do if the power is out. This could be putting together a puzzle, playing a game, or listening to music on a battery or hand-cranked radio.
• If you live with someone who takes medicine that needs to be kept in the refrigerator, make sure you have a way to keep it cold.
• If someone in your home needs a machine or wheelchair that needs power to help them stay healthy and safe, make sure you think about how to use back up batteries. You talk to a neighbors, friends or family to ask if you could go to their home if you need power.

During

• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
• To stay busy, play games or do fun things that don’t need power.
• If your family uses a generator, make sure it’s outdoors and away from windows.
• Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. It could make you sick because of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Have a grown up unplug appliances like the refrigerator and electronics to avoid damage when the power comes back on.
• If a power outage happens and it’s too cold or too hot, listen to local news to find out if heating and cooling locations open near you.
• If you need power for medical equipment to stay healthy, leave and go somewhere safer. You could go to a neighbor, friend or family’s home.

After

• Help grown-ups remember what was unplugged and check to make sure food is still safe to eat.
• When in doubt, throw it out! Throw away any food that has been kept at temperatures 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, or that smells or looks different than it usually does.
• If the power is out for more than a day, you should throw away any medicine that needed to be kept cold, unless its label says it’s okay to keep. Talk to your doctor or someone at the pharmacy right away to get a new supply if you need it.

Learn More

• American Red Cross Prepare with Pedro: Power Outage English
• American Red Cross Prepare with Pedro: Power Outage (Spanish)
• American Red Cross RedCross_PrepareWithPedro_PowerOutage_ActivityBook.pdf English
• American Red Cross RedCross_PrepareWithPedro_PowerOutage_ActivityBook.PDF Spanish
• Prepare with Pedro: A Power Outage Story PSA

Last Updated: 05/29/2026

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