TL;DR: Prepare water, food, light, power, and a family plan before an outage, keep fridge doors shut and generators outdoors during it, and throw out uncertain perishables after it.

Why September 2026 Is The Moment To Act

September is National Preparedness Month, a Federal Emergency Management Agency Ready Campaign observed each September since 2004, according to the City of Asheville. The 2026 theme is "Stand Ready" and "Americans Stand Ready," according to the City of Asheville and the State Gazette report on Ready.gov.

The reminder matters because outages arrive without notice. On 28 April 2025, shortly after midday, the electricity system of Spain and Portugal shut down, with power out for around ten hours across most of the peninsula and longer in places, according to StayReady Kits. Trains stopped, traffic lights went dark, mobile networks struggled and card payments failed, according to StayReady Kits.

Most cuts are shorter and more local, but they share the same feature of arriving without warning, according to StayReady Kits. The U.S. picture in 2024 averaged eleven hours without power per customer, nearly twice the prior decade average, with major events accounting for eighty percent, according to Refuge72 citing the Energy Information Administration.

Before: Build A 72-Hour Kit

After an emergency, you may need to sustain yourself for several days with your own food, water and supplies, according to the City of Asheville. The guideline quoted by the city is "The first 72 is on you," meaning utility or emergency services may not reach you immediately.

Your household kit should include one gallon of water per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation, according to the City of Asheville and USPS Employee News. Store several days of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food plus a manual can opener, according to the City of Asheville and USPS Employee News.

Include a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, a flashlight, extra batteries, and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery, according to the City of Asheville. USPS Employee News lists the same core of radio, flashlight, extra batteries, and phone charger with backup battery.

Add first aid kit, prescription medications and medical items, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, according to the City of Asheville and USPS Employee News. The City of Asheville also lists whistle to signal for help, dust mask to filter contaminated air, plastic sheeting with scissors and duct tape to shelter in place, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, and local maps.

Pack for every person. The City of Asheville lists sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, complete change of clothing appropriate for climate and sturdy shoes, personal hygiene items, mess kits with paper cups, plates, towels and plastic utensils, and paper and pencil. For families, add infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream, books, games and puzzles for children, prescription eyeglasses and solution, and pet food plus extra water for pets, according to the City of Asheville.

Keep cash or traveler's checks, a fire extinguisher, matches in a waterproof container, and work gloves, according to the City of Asheville. StayReady Kits advises keeping some cash because card machines stop working when power does. Keep copies of insurance policies, identification, bank records, medication lists, proof of address, lease or deed, passports and birth certificates saved electronically or in a waterproof portable container, according to the City of Asheville and USPS Employee News.

Store the kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag, with items in airtight plastic bags, according to USPS Employee News. Everyone in the household should know the location and be able to access it, according to USPS Employee News.

Before: Light, Power, Water And Family Plan

Give each person a headlamp and place a lantern for each room used after dark, with spare batteries in required sizes, according to AboutPreppers. StayReady Kits advises a torch in a known place with spare batteries, one by the bed and one near the fuse box. Torches are safer than candles, according to the UK Government as cited by StayReady Kits. Skip candles because they can start a fire, according to AboutPreppers.

Keep charged power banks for every phone and keep them topped up, according to AboutPreppers and StayReady Kits. For fridge, router or CPAP needs, AboutPreppers describes a portable power station that runs indoors with optional solar recharge. For well pump, furnace blower or whole kitchen loads, AboutPreppers describes a portable generator with a transfer switch or inlet fitted by an electrician before it is needed.

If you are on a well, the pump stops with the power, making stored water more important, according to AboutPreppers. Homes on private wells and some tall buildings with booster pumps can lose water with power, according to StayReady Kits and Refuge72.

Put appliance thermometers in fridge and freezer so you know afterward whether food stayed cold enough, according to AboutPreppers. Cape Cod officials, citing CDC guidance, advise checking that the refrigerator is at 40°F or below and freezer at 0°F or below, freezing containers of water and gel packs, finding coolers while lights are on, grouping frozen foods together, and freezing refrigerated items you will not need right away.

Save your utility outage number and website on your phone and on paper with family numbers, according to AboutPreppers. In England, Scotland and Wales the report number is 105, and in Northern Ireland it is 03457 643643, according to StayReady Kits. Sign up for county emergency alerts by text or app, which are free, according to AboutPreppers. Ready.gov offers a downloadable family emergency plan with contacts, meeting places and medical information, according to the State Gazette.

Before: Medical Needs, House And Car

If someone uses powered medical equipment such as a home oxygen concentrator or ventilator, make a plan with the care team now, according to StayReady Kits citing UK Government guidance. Ready.gov advises talking to your medical provider about a power outage plan now, not during the event, according to AboutPreppers. Do not wait to learn how long battery backup lasts, according to StayReady Kits.

Install carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup on every level and smoke alarms that do not depend on the grid, according to AboutPreppers. Ready.gov lists carbon monoxide alarms as a basic outage step, according to AboutPreppers. Fit a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm because a mains-powered unit does not help in a cut, according to StayReady Kits.

Find the manual release on an electric garage door opener to get the car out without power, according to AboutPreppers. Keep the gas tank at least half full because stations need electricity to pump, and the car can serve as phone charger and warm shelter, according to AboutPreppers. Place surge protectors on computers and TVs because power can return with a spike, according to AboutPreppers.

During: First Hour Actions

Check whether it is only your home by looking at the fuse box for a tripped switch, then checking neighbors or street lights, according to StayReady Kits. Look out the window because a dark street indicates it is not your breaker, according to Refuge72.

Report the outage to your utility rather than assuming others have, according to AboutPreppers. Stay well away from downed power lines and treat every one as live, according to AboutPreppers. Keep away from fallen lines and report them to emergency services, according to StayReady Kits.

Unplug sensitive electronics and disconnect appliances to avoid surge damage when power returns, according to StayReady Kits and AboutPreppers. Leave one lamp switched on so you know when power returns, according to StayReady Kits and AboutPreppers. Refuge72 gives the same sequence of unplugging computer and television and leaving one hallway lamp on.

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed. According to Cape Cod officials citing CDC data, a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours, a full freezer for about 48 hours, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. AboutPreppers and StayReady Kits cite the same 4-hour, 48-hour and 24-hour figures from CDC and USDA sources. Eat from the pantry first and avoid opening doors to decide on meals, according to AboutPreppers and Cape Cod guidance.

During: Heat, Cold, Light And Neighbors

In winter, gather everyone in one small room and close it off, according to AboutPreppers. In winter gather in one room and close doors to the rest of house with layers and blankets, and in summer stay on the lowest floor with curtains closed during the day and drink regularly, according to StayReady Kits.

Use torches, not candles, according to StayReady Kits. Save phone battery with low-power mode, low brightness and messages rather than calls, according to StayReady Kits. Keep a battery or wind-up radio for updates if mobile networks struggle, according to StayReady Kits. Agree in advance where the household will meet if you cannot reach each other, according to StayReady Kits.

Check on vulnerable neighbors and share blankets or supplies if you can, according to StayReady Kits. Check on neighbors who are older, live alone or depend on medical equipment, according to AboutPreppers. Anyone depending on a powered medical device should leave for a powered place in the first hour rather than waiting through milestones, according to Refuge72.

During: Generator And Carbon Monoxide Safety

Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, basement, shed or porch, even with doors open, according to StayReady Kits and AboutPreppers. The CDC advises keeping generators at least 20 feet, or 6 metres, from any door, window or vent, according to StayReady Kits and AboutPreppers.

Never use a barbecue, camping stove, charcoal grill or patio heater indoors, and never heat the home with a gas oven or hob, according to StayReady Kits and AboutPreppers. Carbon monoxide has no smell or color, with early symptoms such as headache, dizziness and nausea easily mistaken for tiredness, according to StayReady Kits.

If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected, get everyone into fresh air immediately and call emergency services at 999 or 112 in the UK, 112 in the EU, or 911 in the US and Canada, according to StayReady Kits.

After: Food, Water And Reset

Check fridge and freezer thermometers before eating anything, according to AboutPreppers. The CDC advises throwing out perishable food like meat, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers if the fridge has been without power for more than 4 hours, according to AboutPreppers and Cape Cod guidance. Discard perishable food that has been above 40°F for more than two hours, according to StayReady Kits citing USDA guidance.

Frozen food can go back in the freezer if it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below, according to AboutPreppers. Frozen food can generally be safely refrozen or cooked under those conditions, though quality may change, according to Cape Cod officials. Do not taste food to check safety, and when in doubt throw it out, according to StayReady Kits, AboutPreppers and Cape Cod guidance. Food can contain germs even when it looks or smells normal, according to Cape Cod officials.

Food that contacted floodwater or stormwater may be unsafe, including items in cardboard or packages with screw caps, snap lids or twist caps, according to Cape Cod officials citing CDC guidance. If floodwater reached food and safety is uncertain, throw it out, according to Cape Cod officials.

For medicines, the CDC advises discarding refrigerated drugs if power has been off for more than a day, unless it is a life-saving drug, according to AboutPreppers. Follow drinking-water advisories from town officials and use bottled water if advised, according to Cape Cod officials. If a private well was flooded, follow local health department guidance on testing and disinfection before drinking or cooking, according to Cape Cod officials.

When power returns, plug items back gradually, check that fridge and freezer are cooling, recharge power banks, torches and phones, and replace what was used, according to StayReady Kits. If food spoiled, remove it and wash removable shelves and surfaces with hot soapy water, rinse, and follow CDC sanitizing guidance, according to Cape Cod officials.

Sources referenced