Grid Down: 10 Things You Need Before the Lights Go Out

The Grid Is Old. That Is the Part We Can Source.

The U.S. transmission system is large, and a lot of it is not new. A 2015 Department of Energy Quadrennial Technology Review, which the American Society of Civil Engineers still cites on its energy infrastructure page, reported that 70 percent of power transformers are 25 years or older, 60 percent of circuit breakers are 30 years or older, and 70 percent of transmission lines are 25 years or older.

That is not the same sentence as "over 70 percent of the power grid is more than 25 years old." The precise line is about transformers, breakers, and transmission lines, and the underlying assessment is from 2015. Age is a reason to have a home plan. It is not, by itself, a date when the lights go out.

An earlier version of this article said cyberattacks on critical infrastructure had surged 300 percent year over year. We could not find a reputable page for that figure, so it is removed. Digital threats to utilities are a serious professional topic. A percentage we cannot show you is not.

Sources: DOE Quadrennial Technology Review, 2015, section 3F and the ASCE energy infrastructure card.

10 Things That Help When the Power Is Out

1. Water

Pumps stop when the power stops. Ready.gov recommends at least one gallon per person per day. Two weeks is a solid goal if you can store it; three days is the minimum to hit first. A filter or the knowledge of how to boil water covers you if stored water runs out. The supply tracker can show how the water you entered compares with a target number of days. It will not send you an alert that you are "running low."

2. A Small Way to Recharge

You do not need whole-house solar. A portable panel and a battery station can keep phones, a radio, and a medical device topped up in daylight. Size it for those loads, not for the air conditioner.

3. A Radio That Does Not Need the Grid

Cell sites can go quiet in a long outage. A hand-crank or battery NOAA weather radio still receives emergency broadcasts. Put it where you can find it in the dark.

4. Cash in Small Bills

Card readers and ATMs need power. A few hundred dollars in $1s, $5s, $10s, and $20s is a practical reserve for fuel and food. The amount is a household choice, not a federal standard.

5. Medical Information You Can Read Offline

Write medications, doses, allergies, and emergency contacts on paper. StorehousePrep's medical guide is a reference built into the app, so you can open it when you cannot search the web. It is not a substitute for your clinician or for 911.

6. Food That Survives a Warm Fridge

Ready.gov's power-outage guidance says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours if the door stays shut, and a full freezer about 48 hours if the door stays shut. Food at 40°F or above should be thrown out. Plan meals that do not need the fridge after that window: canned food, peanut butter, crackers, rice, and beans, plus a manual can opener.

7. Warmth Without Carbon Monoxide

Cold weather plus a dead furnace is the dangerous combination. Ready.gov's winter-weather page says to keep generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows and doors, and never to heat the house with a gas oven or stovetop. Carbon monoxide detectors belong on every level. Hypothermia — a body temperature below 95°F — is a medical emergency. Sleeping bags, hats, and one closed-off room matter more than a new gadget.

8. Light

LED lanterns and headlamps with spare batteries beat candles. If you use candles, keep them away from children, bedding, and anything that can tip.

9. A Paper Communication Plan

Decide the meeting point, the out-of-area contact, and who picks up the kids. Write it down. Every adult and older child should have a copy. StorehousePrep does not include a separate communication-plan builder. Rally Map is where you pin the meeting points. Family drills include a communication practice. The roadmap's first phase asks you to write the contact list and the meeting points on paper.

10. What on Your Phone Still Works

Not every part of StorehousePrep works with the signal gone. The medical guide, saved roadmap progress, and drills are available on the device. PrepAI works offline after you download a model. News and live prices need a network. Download maps and the PrepAI model before you need them. Once the connection is gone, you cannot fetch what you skipped.

Seventy-Two Hours Is a Start

Ready.gov's kit guidance is at least three days. A wide outage can last longer than that. Winter storms can run for hours or days and can take out heat, power, and communications together. If you can cover two weeks of water and no-cook food, you have margin. If you can only cover three days this month, do that and add a little next month.

You will not repair a transformer. You can put water, a radio, cash, and a meeting point in place while the lights are still on.