A multi-day power outage in an apartment: light, water, payments, Wi-Fi

What stops working

• Card terminals, ATMs, and self-checkout at stores without backup power What to do at the register →
• Home internet, and any home phone that runs over it. The FCC says internet-based phone service won't work in a power outage without a battery or other backup power. Cordless home phones usually won't work either.
• Elevators, electric stoves, refrigerators, and freezers
• In some tall buildings, water pressure on upper floors
• Charging for phones and medical devices
• Heat, if your building's heating system needs electricity. Ready.gov says a winter storm can "Cut off heat, power and communication services."

In an apartment building: elevators, water pressure, buzzers

• Elevators. Elevators and electric locks need power, and the Red Cross says to consider non-power alternatives for both. Picture your stairwell with the lights out. Walk it once in the dark with a flashlight before you have to. Keep shoes, keys and a headlamp by the door.
• If someone can't manage stairs, plan now with building staff and neighbors for how they'd get help.
• Water pressure. In NYC buildings with more than six floors, pumps push water up to rooftop tanks. Ask your super whether those pumps have backup power. If they don't, upper floors may lose water pressure, so stored water matters more the higher you live. In NYC, report lost water service or low pressure to 311. For amounts and storage, see how much water to store.
• Buzzers and locks. Intercoms, buzzers, and smart locks may stop working. Keep a physical key and know how to get in without them.
• Building news. The lobby or bulletin board often becomes the place for updates. Check it, and check on your neighbors.

More for New York City renters: NYC apartment guide.

What usually keeps working

• Battery-powered lights, radios, and power banks you charged beforehand
• Stored water and no-cook food
• Stairs, if you've planned for them

First 24 hours

1. 1Switch to battery lights. The Red Cross says to use flashlights, not candles, and Ready.gov says every person in your home should have one.
2. 2Keep the fridge and freezer shut. FoodSafety.gov says a closed fridge keeps food safe for up to 4 hours, and after that to throw out perishables like meat, fish, eggs and leftovers. A full freezer holds about 48 hours, or about 24 if it's half full. Never taste food to check it. Plan to eat from cans and no-cook food.
3. 3Unplug sensitive electronics to protect them when power returns.
4. 4Fill containers with tap water while you still have pressure, if you haven't stored any.
5. 5Turn on a battery radio for restoration news. With the power out, your router is off. The FCC suggests a battery-powered radio for news and emergency information during power outages.

Days 2 to 7

• Eat perishables first, then pantry and no-cook food.
• Save your power bank for your phone and your radio. Ready.gov calls your phone a vital tool for emergency alerts. When the bank runs dry, so does your phone.
• Keep a set routine: charge when you can, light only the room you're in, check on neighbors daily.
• If someone in your home depends on powered medical equipment, talk to your clinician and utility now about a backup plan. Ask your utility about registering that equipment so it can contact you in an emergency.
• If someone relies on a medical device, follow the power outage plan you made with their medical provider.
• If the power is out for more than a day, Ready.gov says to throw out any medicine that should be refrigerated unless its label says otherwise, and to call your doctor or pharmacist right away for a new supply. Ask your pharmacist this week which of your medicines need the fridge.
• If your home gets too hot or too cold, or a medical device needs power, the Red Cross says to leave. Communities often open warming or cooling centers and charging stations. In NYC, call 311 to find one.

If it happens in winter

• Your heat may go with the power. Ready.gov says a winter storm can "Cut off heat, power and communication services." Ask your super now whether your building's heat needs electricity.
• Keep to one warm room. The National Weather Service says to "Close off rooms to avoid wasting heat" and to "Place towels or rags in cracks under doors." Dress in layers.
• Protect your pipes. Ready.gov says to "Learn how to keep pipes from freezing." Tell your super right away if a faucet only trickles.
• Never heat with the oven. Ready.gov says to "never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven."

Full steps for staying warm, pipes and carbon monoxide: Power outage in winter.

If ice is in the forecast, see ice storm power outage: how to prepare.

Safety you can't skip

• Never run a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors or on a balcony next to a window. CPSC says: "Generator exhaust contains carbon monoxide. This is a poison you cannot see or smell."
• CDC says: "Install battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area in your home."
• CDC says carbon monoxide "is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled," and that "People who are sleeping, drunk, or under the influence of other substances can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms." That's why the alarm goes near where you sleep. If it sounds, follow the steps in its manual. If you think someone is breathing carbon monoxide, NYC Emergency Management says to leave your home, get to fresh air right away and call 911.
• Most apartments aren't suitable for fuel generators at all. A battery power station is the realistic option for renters. How to pick and size one for an apartment →
• Ready.gov says: "Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. It increases your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning."

Buy / Borrow / Skip

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