HazardNow icon

HazardNow

Real-time situational awareness

Power Outage Triage Calculator

Answer a few questions to prioritize what to check first during a power outage.

If anyone is in immediate danger, has severe symptoms, depends on a powered medical device that is not working, or you suspect carbon monoxide exposure, call 911.

Live situational awareness

Check current conditions on the live dashboard

Use this planning tool, then scan the live HazardNow dashboard for current alerts, weather, power, air quality, transportation, and infrastructure signals.

Open Live DashboardWhat HazardNow tracks

Answer quick triage questions

This tool provides general emergency-preparedness guidance based on official public safety sources. It does not provide medical advice, medication-specific storage advice, or electrical/generator installation advice.

Links: Dashboard · What it tracks · Data sources · Learn · Tools

Status: LOWER

Lower priority: continue monitoring.

Do this first

  • Keep refrigerator and freezer closed: Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible while you address life-safety risks first.

Next 30 minutes

  • Preserve communications: Use low-power mode, dim screen, and text instead of calling when possible.

Before opening the refrigerator/freezer: handle medical power needs, heat/cold risk, and CO safety first.

Food safety — CAUTION

An unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours. Full freezers about 48 hours, half-full about 24 hours.

  • If refrigerated perishable food has been above 40°F for more than 2 hours, discard it.
  • If frozen food still has ice crystals or is 40°F or below, it may generally be refrozen or cooked.
  • Never taste food to determine safety. When in doubt, throw it out.

Medication and medical devices — URGENT

Do not guess about refrigerated medications or powered medical devices.

  • Check the medication label/package insert and contact a pharmacist, prescriber, or manufacturer.
  • If outage is around 24 hours or more, refrigerated medications may need replacement unless label says otherwise.
  • If life-critical medication is involved and replacement is unavailable, use only until a new supply is available and replace as soon as possible.

Indoor heat/cold risk — LOWER

Heat and cold risk can become life-safety issues before food spoilage decisions are finalized.

  • If indoor temp is 90°F or above, relocate to air conditioning and check vulnerable people often.
  • Fans should only be used below 90°F indoors.
  • Do not use ovens, gas stoves, grills, charcoal, or generators indoors for heat.

Backup power and CO safety — CAUTION

Generator safety is a higher priority than saving food.

  • Portable generators must be outdoors at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents with exhaust pointed away.
  • Never run a generator, vehicle, grill, or camp stove in a home or garage, even with doors open.
  • If a CO alarm sounds or symptoms occur, get outside and call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Communications — CAUTION

Maintain communication pathways and preserve battery power early.

  • Use low-power mode, dim screen, and text instead of calling when possible.
  • If no reliable service, use battery-powered/hand-crank radio and official local emergency channels.
  • Broadband and VoIP may fail in outages without battery backup.

Food decision: check temperature

Sources used

More HazardNow tools

Practical planning helpers

Explore the rest of the standalone emergency planning tools. They are informational only and do not replace official alerts or instructions.

View all tools

Flood Safety

Flooded Road Risk

Check why flooded roads are dangerous and get a conservative do-not-cross risk explanation based on depth, visibility, current, vehicle type, and official warnings.

Severe Weather

Tornado Safe Place

Rank the safest available shelter options during a tornado watch or warning based on building type, floor level, rooms, windows, and mobility needs.

Wildfire & Air Quality

Smoke Clean-Room

Plan a cleaner-air room during wildfire smoke using AQI or PM2.5, room size, purifier CADR, DIY filter options, HVAC recirculation, and mask availability.

Evacuation Planning

Evacuation Prioritizer

Generate a prioritized evacuation action list based on whether you have 5, 15, 30, 60, or more minutes, with life safety and official instructions first.

Weather Alerts

Alert Decoder

Translate common watches, warnings, advisories, emergencies, and weather statements into plain-English meaning, urgency, and next actions.

Communications Backup

Remote-Work Backup

Estimate how long router, modem, laptop, hotspot, UPS, power bank, or portable power station resources can support essential work and communications.