What You Can Do

Start with a minimum strategy of 72 hours but be prepared for up to five to seven days without power. Build your plan around several days of self-reliance—covering heat, food, light, and communications. The more you anticipate, the less disruptive the next major outage will feel.

Practical steps to get ready:

• Plan for 5–7 days: Keep enough water, shelf-stable food, flashlights, and batteries to last a week.
• Check trees and vegetation: Before storm season, look for weak or overhanging limbs near power lines, roofs, and driveways. Vegetation management is still one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to prevent outages.
• Stay connected with neighbors: Create a shared text thread for updates, arrange check-ins for elderly neighbors, and note who has useful equipment like a chainsaw or spare carbon-monoxide alarm. Identify local warming centers in case of extreme cold.
• Keep generators safe and reliable: Run monthly tests, change the oil, and ensure it’s placed outside, well away from doors and windows. Make it a priority to install carbon-monoxide alarms on every floor.