HOUSEHOLD PREPAREDNESS GUIDE

Power Outage Preparedness

A blackout can affect more than lights. Refrigeration, communications, heating or cooling, water systems, payments and transportation can all become harder depending on the event and your location.

What this plan should accomplish

Reduce uncertainty before the disruption. Write down the decisions that are easy to forget under stress, keep the supplies that solve your most likely problems, and make sure every household member knows the basic plan.

• Identify the household systems this issue can disrupt.
• Cover immediate needs before convenience items.
• Build redundancy for communication and information.
• Account for children, older adults, pets and power-dependent needs.
• Review and practice the plan periodically.

Build it into the wider household plan

No preparedness topic stands alone. Water affects food; power affects communications; communications affect reunification and evacuation decisions. Use the related guides below to connect this topic to the rest of your plan.