Power Outage Checklist: What to Do in the First 24 Hours

Immediately When the Lights Go Out (Minutes 0–15)

A power outage begins with confusion. Before you act, verify the situation:

• Is this a local failure (only your apartment) or a widespread blackout (the whole building or neighborhood)?
• Check your fuse box: has a circuit breaker tripped?
• Look out the window: are streetlights and neighboring buildings also dark?
• Check the power utility's outage map on mobile data while you still have it

If it's a widespread blackout, activate your emergency plan immediately.

Minutes 0–60: Secure Water

• Fill all available containers: bathtub, large pots, jerrycans, bottles
• If you have a WaterBOB or bathtub liner, deploy it now
• Fill a bucket for toilet flushing (10–15 liters per flush)
• Do not run the dishwasher or washing machine — water pressure may drop soon
• Note how much water you have per person (goal: 5 liters/person/day)

Hours 1–4: Food and Refrigeration

• Keep refrigerator and freezer closed — every opening reduces cooling by 30–60 minutes
• Assess what needs to be eaten first: already-cooked meals, dairy, opened packages
• Move freezer food outside if it's winter (below 0°C outside is fine for frozen items)
• Set up camp stove in a ventilated area — never indoors with gas or combustion equipment
• Identify which food in your stockpile doesn't require cooking

Hours 1–8: Power and Communication

• Charge all power banks and phones immediately — before cell towers go down
• Activate battery-powered or hand-crank radio for official emergency broadcasts
• Send a short "we're okay" message to family before the mobile network gets overwhelmed
• Write down critical phone numbers on paper: 112 (emergency), local authority, family
• Activate power-saving mode on all devices

Hours 4–12: Heat and Light

• Assess your heating: does your gas or oil heater require electricity? (Most modern ones do)
• Identify your warmest room and consider gathering the household there
• Get out sleeping bags, blankets, and thermal clothing
• Set up battery-powered or solar lanterns for main living areas
• Keep at least one headlamp per person readily accessible

Hours 8–24: Community and Safety

• Check on elderly neighbors or those who depend on medical equipment
• Share information and resources with trusted neighbors
• Do not use social media or non-essential calls to preserve mobile bandwidth
• Secure your home if you need to leave temporarily
• Monitor emergency radio for official information about duration and recovery

When to Evacuate

Consider evacuation if:

• You depend on electrically powered medical equipment and have no battery backup
• The temperature inside your home drops below 10°C (50°F) and you can't warm it
• Local authorities issue an evacuation order
• You run out of water with no source available nearby

Know your municipality's emergency shelter locations before a crisis happens.

What NOT to Do

• Never run a generator, gas stove, or charcoal grill indoors — CO poisoning kills silently
• Do not call 112 unless it is a life-threatening emergency — keep the line free
• Do not leave candles unattended
• Do not assume the outage will be over in an hour — plan for days

Post-24-Hour Considerations

If power has not returned after 24 hours, begin rationing:

• Water: limit non-drinking uses (cooking water can be reused for hygiene)
• Battery power: charge only critical devices; limit screen time
• Food: prioritize calorie-dense, no-cook items
• Heat: reduce the heated zone to one room; seal drafts with towels

A 24-hour blackout is manageable. A 72-hour or week-long blackout requires the full depth of your preparation. The first 24 hours determine how well-positioned you are for everything that follows.