Outage checklist: before, during and after

Before an outage

Take stock of what runs on electricity in your home, and plan batteries or another power source for what you can't go without. (Ready.gov)
Keep a flashlight for everyone in the house, and a power bank for phones. (Ready.gov)
Find out whether your home phone works in an outage and how long its backup battery lasts. (Ready.gov)
Put battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide detectors near every sleeping area and on every level of your home. Check the batteries when the clocks change. (CDC, Ready.gov)
Ask your medical provider for a plan for powered medical devices and refrigerated medicines, including how long each medicine can stay at higher temperatures. (Ready.gov)
Keep nonperishable food and water, a cooler for ice, and a thermometer for the fridge and freezer. (Ready.gov)
Work out how long your backup lasts. The runtime table gives hours for common loads on power stations, the size calculator works out what your own loads need, and the UPS sizing worksheet covers a UPS.

Keep the fridge and freezer closed. The fridge keeps food safe for up to 4 hours. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours, or 24 if it's half full. (FoodSafety.gov)
Turn off or unplug appliances and electronics, because power can come back with surges. (Ready.gov)
Run a generator only outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. (CDC)
Keep the generator dry, and let it cool before you refuel it. (Ready.gov)
Keep camp stoves and charcoal grills outdoors too. (Ready.gov, CDC)
Know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. People who are asleep can die before they have symptoms. (CDC)
Use flashlights and battery lanterns, not candles. (CDC)
Never touch a fallen power line. (CDC)
Purification systems may not work fully, so use bottled, boiled or treated water. Your local health department can say what applies where you live. (CDC)
If the heat or cold is extreme, go to a community location with power. Local officials can tell you which ones are open. (Ready.gov)

Never taste food to find out whether it's safe. (FoodSafety.gov)
Throw out refrigerated perishables such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers after 4 hours without power. (FoodSafety.gov)
Frozen food can be refrozen if it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below, though its quality may suffer. (FoodSafety.gov)
If the power was out for a day or more, throw away medicine that should be refrigerated unless the label says otherwise, and ask your doctor or pharmacist for a new supply right away. If a life depends on that medicine, use it only until the new supply arrives. (CDC, Ready.gov)
Recharge your power bank and any backup battery before the next outage.

To choose backup power for the next one, start with Battery backup, UPS, and home generators.