Power, light and phone charging in a hurricane¶

This page helps you plan for power and light in a hurricane, when the grid may be down for a week or longer. It covers flashlights, batteries, phone charging, portable power, generators, and keeping food cold.

If you only do three things¶

1. Buy a flashlight or headlamp for every person and a week of batteries.
2. Charge every phone, power bank, and rechargeable device before the storm arrives.
3. If you own a generator, read the generator safety page and never run it inside.

Flashlights and headlamps, not candles¶

Candles start house fires after storms. Skip them. LED flashlights are cheap, bright, and run for days on a set of batteries.

Headlamps are even better. They leave both hands free for cooking, cleaning, and carrying children. Keep a light by each bed.

• One flashlight per person
• One headlamp per adult
• Two or three battery powered lanterns for rooms
• Small flashlight in every go bag and in the car
• Glow sticks or battery tea lights for children's rooms and bathrooms

Batteries¶

Standardize where you can, so you stock one or two sizes in quantity. Check what your flashlights, lanterns, radio, and fans use, then buy enough for a week of nightly use.

• Count the devices and their battery sizes
• Stock at least two full changes per device, more for lights you use all night
• Store batteries in their packaging in a cool, dry place
• Note the expiration dates and rotate
• Rechargeable batteries plus a charger you can run from a power bank or car

Lanterns¶

A lantern lights a whole room for meals and card games. Crank and solar lanterns work without batteries, which makes them a good backup.

Hang one in the kitchen and one in the main living area. Give each bathroom a small light too.

Keeping phones charged¶

Your phone is your radio, flashlight, map, and link to family. Plan several ways to charge it.

Power banks. Buy one large power bank per person, or a couple of big ones for the household. Charge them fully the week before a storm and top them up whenever the power flickers. A power bank loses charge slowly in storage, so check it at the start of the season.

Car charging. Your car is a generator you already own, and it charges phones and power banks while idling. Run the car outdoors only, never in a garage, and keep the tank at least half full during hurricane season.

Solar chargers. A folding solar panel charges a phone or power bank on a sunny day. It is slow and useless in the rain, so treat it as a backup rather than the main plan.

Save battery. Put phones in low power mode, turn down brightness, and switch off Bluetooth and unneeded apps. Text instead of calling, since texts use less power and get through when calls do not.

• Power banks, charged
• Charging cables for every device, plus spares
• Car charger and a cable that reaches the back seat
• Folding solar panel with USB output
• Wall charger with several ports for when power returns

Portable power stations¶

A portable power station is a large rechargeable battery with wall outlets and USB ports. It makes no noise or fumes, so it can run indoors. A mid sized unit can run a fan, phones, a laptop, a CPAP machine, and a few lights for a night or two. Larger units can run a small refrigerator for a while.

Charge it fully before the storm and pair it with a solar panel to recharge during the day. They suit people who cannot run a gasoline generator, such as apartment dwellers, but they cost more and hold less.

Generators¶

A generator can keep the refrigerator cold, run fans and lights, and power medical equipment. It also causes carbon monoxide deaths after every major hurricane, so learn to use it correctly.

Portable generators run on gasoline or propane and power a few things through extension cords. They are affordable, but you must store fuel, carry them outside, and secure them.

Standby generators are permanently installed, run on natural gas or propane, and switch on automatically. They cost far more and need professional installation, but they are safer and cover the whole house.

Sizing. Add up the running watts of what you need to power at the same time, then add the highest starting watts of any motor, such as a refrigerator or well pump. A refrigerator, a few lights, a fan, and phone charging fit within a small portable unit. Central air conditioning needs a large unit or a standby system.

Fuel storage. Store gasoline in approved containers, outside the house, away from heat and living spaces. Add fuel stabilizer so it lasts through the season. Let the generator cool before refueling.

Transfer switches. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. This is called backfeeding, and it can electrocute utility workers and neighbors. Use heavy duty outdoor extension cords to individual appliances, or have an electrician install a transfer switch so the generator can safely feed your home's wiring.

• Generator tested and serviced before the season
• Fuel stored safely, with stabilizer
• Heavy duty outdoor rated extension cords
• Battery powered carbon monoxide alarms on every level
• Chain and lock to secure the generator outside
• Rain cover made for generators, never a tarp draped over a running unit

Keep the refrigerator closed¶

Keep the doors shut and decide what you need before you open them. A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about four hours. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours, and a half full one for about 24 hours.

Freeze bottles of water before the storm. They fill empty freezer space, which helps it stay cold longer, and they become drinking water as they thaw.

Coolers and ice¶

Move the food you will use first into a cooler once power fails, and save the refrigerator for the rest. Buy block ice before the storm, since it lasts far longer than cubes.

Keep coolers in the coolest room and out of the sun. See food and water safety for what to throw out.

Weather radio¶

Cell towers fail in a hurricane. A battery powered radio lets you hear warnings and updates from your national weather service and local officials when the internet is down. Choose one with a hand crank and solar panel so it works without batteries, and a USB port to charge a phone in a pinch.

Set it up before the season and find the stations that carry official updates.

In the United States¶

A NOAA weather radio receives official National Weather Service broadcasts directly, including warnings, forecasts, and all clear messages. Test the alert function before the season.

Everywhere else, your local page lists the official alert sources and radio stations for your country.

Related guides¶

• Generator safety after the storm
• Hurricane supply list
• Water and food supplies
• Food and water safety after the storm
• Seniors and people with disabilities