Prep and safety
Riding out an outage
A power outage in Tri-Cities, WA is usually short, but the difference between a non-event and a spoiled fridge or a carbon monoxide scare is a few simple habits. Here is the practical version, no fluff. Print it and stick it on the fridge.
How long is your food good for?
Start this when the power drops. It tells you the moment you should stop trusting what is inside.
Tap a compartment, then start the timer.
Guidance follows the USDA: a fridge keeps food safe about 4 hours unopened, a full freezer about 48 hours, half full about 24. When in doubt, throw it out. Never taste food to check it.
Generators: the one rule that matters
Never run a generator indoors.
Not in the garage, basement, crawl space, or by an open window. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless and it kills fast. Keep it outside, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away.
Let it cool before refueling.
Gasoline on hot engine parts can ignite. Shut it off and give it a few minutes.
Do not backfeed.
Never plug a generator into a wall outlet to power the house. It can electrocute line crews and your neighbors. Use a transfer switch installed by an electrician, or run appliances on heavy-duty outdoor extension cords.
Put a CO alarm where you sleep.
Battery powered, tested. It is the cheapest insurance in the house.
Protect your electronics
Unplug sensitive gear now.
When power comes back it can surge. Unplug TVs, computers, game consoles, and anything with a delicate circuit board. A power strip you can switch off counts.
Leave one light on.
Switch a single lamp on so you know the moment power returns, then turn things back on a few at a time so you do not slam the grid as it stabilizes.
Lower the thermostat draw.
Turn the AC or heat pump off at the thermostat. Compressors hate restarting against a brownout. Switch it back on a few minutes after power is steady.
Food, beyond the timer
Keep the doors shut.
Every time you open the fridge or freezer you spend the clock. Decide what you need before you open it.
Group freezer items together.
Packed tight, frozen food holds cold longer. Move loose items into one block.
A full freezer is your friend.
Jugs of water in the empty space freeze into thermal mass and double as drinking water if the outage drags on.
When in doubt, throw it out.
If perishables sat above 40°F for more than two hours, do not risk it. Never taste to check.
Medical and well water
CPAP, oxygen, and powered devices.
If someone depends on a powered medical device, call your utility before an outage and ask to be on their medical-priority list. Keep a battery backup or a plan to relocate. Know where the nearest 24-hour pharmacy or hospital is.
Refrigerated medicine.
Insulin and similar meds tolerate a closed fridge for the food-safe window. For longer outages, a cooler with ice packs works. Check the manufacturer guidance and do not freeze what should only be chilled.
On a well? No power, no pump.
Store drinking water ahead of time, about one gallon per person per day for three days. Fill a bathtub at the first sign of a long outage so you can flush toilets by pouring water into the bowl.
Charge what matters first.
Phones, medical devices, and a power bank. A car charger turns your vehicle into a backup. Do not idle a car in a closed garage.
Printable checklist
Have on hand before it happens
- Flashlights and fresh batteries (skip candles, fire risk)
- A charged power bank for phones
- Bottled or stored water, one gallon per person per day
- A battery or hand-crank radio
- Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
- A cooler and a few frozen water jugs
- A working carbon monoxide alarm
- Your utility outage line saved in your phone
The moment the power goes out
- Report it on the live map and call your utility
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed
- Unplug electronics to guard against the surge
- Turn the AC or heat off at the thermostat
- Leave one lamp switched on so you see power return
- Check on elderly neighbors and anyone on medical devices
When power comes back
- Wait a few minutes, then turn things on a few at a time
- Check the fridge and freezer against the food-safe timer
- Reset clocks, thermostats, and the GFCI outlets
- Mark the outage on the map as restored so neighbors know
When it does go out, the map is the fastest way to see how big it is.
See the live map