Emergency preparedness · plain language · no panic
Most homes lose heat, water and phone contact in that order. We publish the checklists, the order of operations, and the gear that actually earns its place. We check every guide against FEMA, NOAA and Red Cross guidance.
2 pages · printable · no account needed
Sources cited in every guide
Use 32 checks across eight sections to spot practical gaps in your blackout plan.
Email delivery is optional. View and download the PDF without an email.
Choosing your situation narrows what to read next.
Power and water/food open situation overviews. First aid and leaving home open topic directories.
Right now
Safety checks first, then food, temperature, and generator guidance if you use one.
Open power-outage overview →
Today or this week
Check a water advisory, plan water storage, or browse food guides.
Open water & food overview →
Someone is hurt
Browse first-aid guides by injury and situation. For urgent injuries, get professional help.
Browse first-aid guides →
Getting ready to go
Find evacuation and related disruption articles in the full collapse & conflict topic.
Browse collapse & conflict guides →
If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.
A winter blackout starts quietly. The lights blink, the furnace stops, and the house still feels warm. That delay makes the first hour easy to waste. By the time rooms feel cold, batteries may be depleted and safer places harder to reach. A...
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We start with practical steps, cite sources, and explain the limits of gear before suggesting a purchase.
Read our editorial standards →Manufacturer-spec picks
These products cover separate outage jobs based on published manufacturer specifications.
Selected for fit with those jobs using published manufacturer specifications.
Hands-free light
Compact 300-lumen headlamp supplied with three AAA batteries; also accepts the optional Petzl CORE rechargeable battery.
Limitation: CORE rechargeable battery is not included. Petzl says this headlamp is not certified for road use.
Phone power
A 10,000mAh power bank with a built-in USB-C cable and up to 30W single-port charging.
Limitation: Not a substitute for a larger power station. The 30W figure is for a single output; simultaneous multiport output is limited to 24W per Anker.
Emergency information
Portable AM/FM and NOAA weather radio with multiple power sources and a built-in flashlight.
Limitation: Do not rely on a single device or charging method for emergency alerts; keep its battery charged and test reception in your location.
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A power outage feels manageable when it is measured in minutes. By the fifth day, it is no longer mainly a lighting problem. Food is warming, phones a...
Apartment emergency water storage is a different problem from suburban basement storage. You may not have a garage, spare closet, utility room, or per...
You walk up and someone is down. Not sitting. Not asking for help. Just lying there, unresponsive. That moment can feel unreal, like your brain is wai...
When the power fails, your phone may still work - but every percentage point of battery suddenly matters. Mobile data can become unreliable, home inte...
The road signs blur together, your lodging plan falls through, and you are considering the back seat. First decide whether this is a safe place to sto...
Cell service can disappear while everything else looks normal. Your phone may show SOS, no bars or a spinning message indicator even though the lights...
Before you leave
The blackout checklist is two printable pages with 32 checks for lighting, phone power, water, food access, safety, communication, payment backup, and what can wait.
Free · no account needed
