Power outages tend to feel manageable for the first few minutes, and then the small problems start stacking up. The sump pump goes quiet. The fridge starts warming. Wi-Fi drops. The garage door will not budge. Working through things in the right order keeps everyone safe and helps you avoid the mistakes that turn a short outage into an expensive one. If it is winter and the heat just went out, see our winter power outage prep guide for how fast pipes can freeze once the furnace stops, or our hour by hour pipe freeze timeline for the exact clock you are working against.
First 10 Minutes: Safety Comes First
Stay away from downed wires
Never touch a wire, fence, puddle, or branch near a downed line, and assume every downed line is live even if it looks dead. If you see one, keep people and pets back and call ComEd at 1-800-334-7661 or 911 if it is blocking a road or touching a structure. You can also text OUT to 26633 to report an outage directly to ComEd once you are safe.
Check on your household first
Make sure everyone in the home is accounted for and unhurt. If it is dark, hand out flashlights before doing anything else. Skip candles if you can. Open flame is one of the more common causes of house fires during outages.
Confirm it is not just your breaker
Step outside and check whether neighbors have lights on. If they do, check your main breaker panel before assuming it is a utility-wide outage. If all breakers look normal and neighbors are also dark, it is a grid issue and worth reporting to ComEd right away, even if you think they already know. More reports from a street help crews prioritize where to send trucks.
Unplug sensitive electronics
Unplug computers, TVs, and other sensitive electronics, or at minimum make sure they are on a surge protector. Power sometimes comes back with a brief surge, and that surge can damage equipment that was fine right up until the second the lights came back on.
Within the First Hour
Check the sump pump right away
If your home has a basement and a sump pump, this is one of the most important checks on this whole list. A sump pump with no power means nothing is pumping groundwater out, and heavy storm rain can fill a pit fast. Look at the pit itself, check for water creeping up finished walls, and move anything stored directly on the floor to higher ground as a precaution. If you already know heavy rain is part of the forecast, a battery backup sump pump or a generator sized to cover it is worth asking an electrician about before the next storm, not during this one.
Keep the fridge and freezer shut
Every time the door opens, cold air escapes and the clock resets a little. As a general guide, a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours if the door stays closed, a half-full freezer for about 24 hours, and a closed refrigerator keeps food safely cold for around 4 hours. If you know the outage is going to run long, move the most perishable items into a cooler with ice partway through that window rather than waiting until food is already at risk.
Check on medical equipment and devices that matter
If anyone in the home depends on refrigerated medication, a CPAP machine, a home oxygen concentrator, a power wheelchair, or similar equipment, check on it immediately and have a backup plan ready, whether that is a battery backup, a generator, or a place to go if the outage runs long. Talk to a pharmacist ahead of time about how long specific medications can safely sit unrefrigerated, since that answer changes by medication.
Never run a portable generator indoors
A portable generator has to stay outside, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents, and never in a garage even with the door open. Carbon monoxide from a running generator is invisible and odorless, and it can build up to dangerous levels in a surprisingly short time. Make sure every level of your home has a working carbon monoxide detector with a battery backup, and test them if you have not checked them recently.
Write down what lost power and what you wish had stayed on
While it is fresh, jot down what stopped working. The sump pump, the internet router, the garage door, a home office setup, a specific bedroom, whatever mattered most in the moment. This list becomes very useful later if you ever look into a standby generator, since it tells an electrician exactly which circuits are worth backing up.
While the Power Is Still Out
- Check in on neighbors, especially anyone elderly or living alone, since a downed tree or a blocked driveway can leave someone stuck without an easy way to ask for help.
- Keep your phone charged conservatively. Dim the screen, turn on low power mode, and save a portable battery pack for later in the outage rather than draining it early.
- Avoid using a gas stove or oven to heat the house. It raises the risk of both carbon monoxide buildup and fire, and ovens are not designed to run for hours as a heat source.
- Turn off major appliances like the water heater, HVAC system, and any large equipment, and leave one lamp switched on so you know the moment power returns.
- Watch for local emergency alerts through a weather radio, a phone alert system, or the ComEd outage map, since estimated restoration times can change as crews assess the damage.
When the Power Comes Back On
Coming back from an outage has its own small checklist, and skipping it is how surge damage or spoiled food slips through unnoticed.
- Turn appliances back on gradually, not all at once, to avoid overloading the circuit the moment power returns.
- Check the fridge and freezer with a thermometer. If refrigerated food has been above 40°F for more than two hours, or anything looks or smells off, throw it out. When food safety is in doubt, the safest move is always to toss it.
- Check refrigerated medication for any temperature guidance your pharmacist gave you, and toss anything that was out of range for too long.
- Reset clocks, routers, and smart home devices, and confirm your sump pump restarted and is actually cycling.
- Walk the outside of your home and look for storm damage. Cracked shingles, damaged siding, downed branches near power lines, or anything that looks new since the last time you checked.
- Photograph any damage before you clean it up. Insurance claims move faster with clear photos taken as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Restock what you used, including batteries, water, and any ice or coolers, so you are ready if another round of storms follows in the same week, which happens more often than people expect during an active summer weather pattern.
Build a Simple Outage Kit Now
A basic kit stored in one spot, like a closet or garage shelf everyone in the house knows about, makes the next outage much less stressful.
- Water: about one gallon per person per day, with at least a three-day supply on hand.
- Non-perishable food that does not need cooking, plus a manual can opener.
- Flashlights for every household member, with extra batteries, and candles kept as a last resort only.
- A battery or hand-crank weather radio for updates if cell service or Wi-Fi is down.
- A portable phone charger or power bank, kept charged and ready.
- A basic first aid kit.
- Cash in small bills, since card readers and ATMs may not work without power.
- A 7-day supply of any critical prescriptions, refilled early when storms are in the forecast.
- Copies of insurance policies, IDs, and medical information in a waterproof bag or folder.
When to Ask About a Standby Generator
Not every home needs the same setup. A standby generator makes the most sense for homes that lose power more than once a year, rely on a sump pump, have medical equipment in the house, store a lot of frozen food, or need reliable internet for remote work. The right size and setup depends on your specific home rather than a one-size-fits-all answer. And if you're wondering why your block keeps landing on the outage map, our explainer covers why power keeps going out on the North Shore. And if you want real numbers before talking to anyone, our Illinois generator cost guide breaks down what installation runs in 2026.
A local licensed electrician can look at your electrical panel, your gas service, where a generator could sit outside your home, and the list of circuits you would actually want backed up. From there you can decide between backing up the whole home or just the handful of circuits that matter most, which is often the more affordable route.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does food stay safe in the fridge and freezer during an outage?
A closed refrigerator keeps food safely cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer holds its temperature for roughly 48 hours if the door stays shut, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. Once refrigerated food has been above 40°F for more than two hours, USDA guidance says to throw it out rather than risk it.
Is it safe to run a portable generator in the garage with the door open?
No. A portable generator should only run outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents. An open garage door is not enough ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide from building up inside the home.
How do I report a power outage to ComEd?
Call 1-800-334-7661, text OUT to 26633, or report it through the ComEd website or mobile app. If you see a downed power line, stay back and report it as an emergency rather than a routine outage.
Should I still report an outage if I assume my neighbors already have?
Yes. ComEd uses the volume and location of customer reports, along with its own monitoring systems, to figure out where to send crews first. A report from your address helps confirm the outage is affecting your specific street or block.
What should I do about my sump pump during a power outage?
Check it as soon as it is safe to do so, especially during heavy rain. If your basement depends on a sump pump and you have had water issues before, a battery backup sump pump or a generator sized to cover it is worth discussing with an electrician before the next storm.
How do I know if my home needs a whole-home generator or just a partial backup?
It depends on what you cannot afford to lose power to. Homes with a sump pump, medical equipment, or remote work needs often lean toward backing up specific critical circuits at minimum, while homes that want full comfort during any outage look at whole-home coverage. An electrician can walk through your panel and your outage history to help you decide.
What should I do if my food was exposed to temperatures above 40°F for more than two hours?
Throw it out. This applies even if it looks and smells fine, since some bacteria that grow at unsafe temperatures do not change how food looks or smells.
Can a power surge damage my electronics when power comes back on?
Yes. This is why unplugging sensitive electronics during an outage, or keeping them on a surge protector, matters. Turning appliances back on gradually instead of all at once also reduces strain on the system when power is restored.