Shelter in Place Plan

No Power for 1 Day: Checklist

What to do in the first 24 hours of a power outage: protect food, stay safe, keep phones charged and know when to act.

Checklist

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Most outages are short. The first day is about keeping food cold, staying safe, and saving battery.

First 30 minutes

  1. Check whether it is just your home: look at your breaker panel or fuse box.
  2. Report it to your power company.
  3. Keep the fridge and freezer closed.
  4. Unplug electronics and appliances to avoid surge damage. Leave one lamp on so you know when power returns.
  5. Put phones on power-saving mode.

Food timing

  • A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours.
  • A full freezer holds for about 48 hours if closed, and a half-full one for about 24 hours.

See the full fridge and freezer guide.

Carbon monoxide warning. Generators, camp stoves, barbecues, charcoal, and kerosene or propane burners give off carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which can kill within minutes. Never use them indoors, or in a garage, basement, shed, tent or covered porch, even with doors and windows open. Outdoors, keep them at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents.

Never use a gas stove, oven or dryer to heat your home. Use flashlights rather than candles where you can.

If you rely on powered medical equipment, go straight to your medical device plan.

Where to buy

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  • Flashlight, battery or hand-crank

    Black Diamond: Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp

    A AAA-powered dimmable headlamp that keeps both hands free and uses common batteries.

    Check price at Amazon.comCheck price at Amazon.ca

  • Spare batteries for your flashlights and radio

    Energizer: Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries, 4 Pack

    Energizer states AA Ultimate Lithium cells last up to 25 years in storage and work from -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C), which suits stored kits.

    Check price at Amazon.comCheck price at Amazon.ca

  • Phone power bank

    Anker: Anker Power Bank, 20,000mAh, Built-In USB-C Cable

    A 20,000 mAh pack holds several phone charges and has its own cable, so one less thing to find in the dark.

    Check price at Amazon.comCheck price at Amazon.ca

  • Battery or hand-crank radio, with NOAA Weather Radio

    Midland: Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather AM/FM Radio

    Runs from multiple power sources including a hand crank, and receives NOAA weather channels with alert.

    Check price at Amazon.comCheck price at Amazon.ca

  • Battery or hand-crank radio, with NOAA Weather Radio

    Kaito: Kaito KA500 5-Way Powered Emergency AM/FM/SW Weather Alert Radio

    Has solar, hand-crank and other power options plus a flashlight and reading lamp.

    Check price at Amazon.comCheck price at Amazon.ca

  • Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm

    Kidde: Kidde KN-COB-B-LP Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Battery Operated

    Kidde lists it as UL Listed with an electrochemical sensor, and it runs on 3 AA batteries so it keeps working in a power outage.

    Check price at Amazon.comNo Canadian link yet

  • Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm

    Kidde: Kidde C3010 Worry-Free Carbon Monoxide Alarm, 10-Year Sealed Battery

    Kidde lists its Canadian C3010-CA as CSA Listed with an electrochemical sensor and a sealed lithium battery, so it keeps working in an outage; check the listing shows the CSA mark before buying.

    No US link yetCheck price at Amazon.ca

Sources

Updated November 9, 2026