How long does food stay safe in a powered-off fridge?

Generally about 4 hours if the door stays closed. After that, use a thermometer and follow food safety guidance for anything perishable.

Is it safe to run a generator in a garage during a blackout?

No. Even with the garage door open, carbon monoxide can build to dangerous levels. Generators need to run outdoors, away from windows and vents.

Should I open the freezer to check on food during a blackout?

Avoid it unless necessary. A full freezer can hold safe temperatures for about 48 hours unopened, while a half-full freezer is closer to 24 hours.

What is the biggest mistake people make in the first hour of a blackout?

Draining the phone battery on social media instead of conserving it for actual emergency communication later.

When does a blackout become a real emergency rather than an inconvenience?

When it intersects with medical equipment needs, extreme weather, water disruption, or stretches past what your food and water supply can cover.

72-Hour Blackout Guide - What to Do in the First 3 Days

The power just went out, and the first ten minutes matter more than people think. What you do right now determines whether your food stays safe, your phone lasts the night, and your house stays livable if this drags into day two or three. Here is what actually matters, broken down by how long the outage has been going.

0-72 hour timeline

What to do as the outage stretches on

0-6h

Stabilize

Keep cold air in, find real lights, and protect electronics before restoration surges.

6-24h

Conserve

Shift from inconvenience mode to conservation mode for battery, food, and heat.

24-48h

Reassess

Treat the outage as multi-day and make decisions before supplies or temperatures force them.

48-72h

Sustain

Use the kit, protect water, and rotate who checks official updates.

Action steps by outage stage

0-6h

Stabilize

Keep the fridge and freezer closed.
Unplug sensitive electronics before power comes back.
Locate flashlights before dark instead of relying on phone flashlights all night.
If heat or cold is extreme, identify a backup location before you need it.

6-24h

Conserve

Put phones in low-power mode and limit them to outage updates and essential messages.
Run generators outdoors only, away from garages, windows, and vents.
A full freezer can hold temperature about 48 hours if unopened; a half-full one is closer to 24 hours.
Use coolers with ice for fridge items you truly need to access.

24-48h

Reassess

Check on neighbors who rely on power for medical equipment.
In extreme temperatures, relocate instead of waiting too long.
Discard perishable food that has been above 40 F for more than 2 hours.
Switch from normal routines to planned emergency supplies.

48-72h

Sustain

Run on emergency supplies rather than scrambling.
If water treatment or pumping is affected locally, switch to stored water until officials confirm safety.
Rotate update-checking so one person does not drain every device.
Revisit relocation decisions if medical, heat, cold, or water risks increase.

From the Family Emergency Kit

Five items that matter fast

Water for every person and pet
Shelf-stable food and manual can opener
Flashlights and extra batteries
First aid kit and regular medications
Copies of key documents and emergency contacts

See full checklist ->

What We'd Want on Hand for This

Product links will be added after affiliate partners are approved. These are the categories we would prioritize first for a multi-day outage.

Power bank

Keeps phones available for updates and essential communication instead of flashlight duty.

Battery-powered or hand-crank radio

Provides official updates when home internet and cell service are unreliable.

LED lantern

Safer and easier to manage than candles for room lighting.

Backup phone charger

A dedicated cable and wall/car option prevent the last-minute charger hunt.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Generally about 4 hours if the door stays closed. After that, use a thermometer and follow food safety guidance for anything perishable.
: No. Even with the garage door open, carbon monoxide can build to dangerous levels. Generators need to run outdoors, away from windows and vents.
: Avoid it unless necessary. A full freezer can hold safe temperatures for about 48 hours unopened, while a half-full freezer is closer to 24 hours.
: Draining the phone battery on social media instead of conserving it for actual emergency communication later.
: When it intersects with medical equipment needs, extreme weather, water disruption, or stretches past what your food and water supply can cover.

Source: Ready.gov - Power Outages

Source: FoodSafety.gov - Food Safety During Power Outages