Bottom line: Don’t panic, don’t open the fridge, and don’t fire up a generator indoors. The first 30 minutes after the power fails set the tone for the entire outage — a calm, practiced routine keeps your food safe, your home intact, and your family comfortable.
Print this. Stick it on the fridge. When the lights go out at 2 AM during a hurricane, you won’t be thinking clearly — the list will.
1. Check If It’s Just You
Look outside. Are the streetlights on? Neighbors’ houses dark too? If it’s just your home, check your breaker panel — a tripped main breaker is a 30-second fix. If the whole street is dark, it’s a grid outage: settle in.
2. Unplug Sensitive Electronics
Power surges love to arrive with the outage — and again when power is restored. Unplug (don’t just switch off) TVs, computers, gaming consoles, and anything with a circuit board. Leave one lamp plugged in so you know when power returns. Better yet: this is why surge protectors exist — install them before storm season.
3. Don’t Open the Fridge or Freezer
A closed fridge keeps food safe for 4 hours. A full freezer holds for 48 hours (24 if half-full). Every time you open the door, you cut that time dramatically. Decide what you need, grab it fast, close it. Put a thermometer in the fridge now — if it reads above 40°F for more than 2 hours, food starts becoming unsafe. (Full details in our fridge food safety guide.)
4. Switch to Battery and Solar Light
LED lanterns, headlamps, flashlights — one per person. Skip candles. Open flame in a dark house with kids, pets, and storm stress is how fires start during hurricanes. If you must use them, never leave them unattended and keep them away from everything flammable.
5. Get Your Backup Power Running — Safely
- Power station: Carry it to where you need it, plug in the fridge (cycle it — 2 hours on, 2 hours off), phones, and a fan. Silent, indoor-safe.
- Gas generator: It goes outside, 20+ feet from the house, exhaust away from windows — no exceptions, not the garage, not the balcony. Then run extension cords in. Install battery-powered CO alarms if you haven’t already.
See our power station vs generator guide if you’re still deciding which you need.
6. Preserve Phone Battery Like It’s Gold
Your phone is your weather radio, your FEMA alert system, and your lifeline to family. Dim the screen, enable low-power mode, close background apps, and stop doomscrolling. Charge from your power station or a battery bank — not from the car idling in a closed garage.
7. Check on Neighbors — Especially the Elderly
Knock on doors (don’t assume they’re fine). Elderly neighbors may need help with medical devices, may not have backup power for oxygen or CPAP, and may be disoriented in the dark. Florida’s heat kills quietly — check for signs of heat exhaustion in anyone without airflow.
8. Secure the Outside
If it’s safe to go out (no downed lines, winds below tropical-storm force): bring in anything that became a projectile, check for water intrusion, and clear storm drains near your home. Never touch downed power lines — assume every one is live. Report them to the utility; don’t wait.
9. Manage Water
Fill bathtubs and containers before the storm if you haven’t — high-rise buildings often lose water pressure when pumps die. During the outage, conserve: a gallon per person per day minimum for drinking. If officials issue a boil-water notice, follow it.
10. Stay Informed, Stay Put
Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio. Local news on your phone (low-power mode). Don’t drive — flooded roads kill more Floridians in hurricanes than wind does. Six inches of moving water knocks you down; twelve inches floats a car. Wait for the all-clear.
The Nighttime Routine
When it’s time to sleep: shut down the gas generator (quiet hours, save fuel, no refueling in the dark), switch to the power station for the silent essentials — CPAP, a fan, phones charging. This is the hybrid setup that gets Florida families through multi-day outages: generator by day, battery by night.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do hurricane power outages last in Florida?
Most last 24–72 hours. Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) can mean 1–2 weeks in hard-hit areas. Plan for 72 hours minimum; hope for 24.
Should I turn off my main breaker during an outage?
If you’re running a generator through a transfer switch or interlock, the interlock handles it. Otherwise, leaving the main on is fine — but unplug sensitive electronics against the restoration surge.
When will the power come back?
Utilities restore in priority order: hospitals and emergency services first, then the largest blocks of customers, then individual streets. Check your utility’s outage map (FPL, Duke, TECO) on your phone — but don’t burn battery refreshing it every 5 minutes.
Is it safe to use a grill indoors during an outage?
No. Charcoal and gas grills produce carbon monoxide — outdoors only, same 20-foot rule as generators. For indoor cooking during an outage, use a power station with an electric kettle (brief, high draw) or eat no-cook food.