Hurricane Power Outage Plan: What to Keep Running and How Big a Battery You Need

After a hurricane, keep the fridge, fans, Wi-Fi, phones, a few lights and any medical device running: that takes about 2,600 to 4,300 Wh of battery per day, and because hurricane outages often last several days, plan a way to recharge. Heat is the hard part. Fans fit in the budget; a window air conditioner runs for a few hours at most. Skies often clear after the storm passes, which makes solar the most practical way to refill a station, and a generator, if you have one, stays outdoors.

How long should you plan to be without power?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks from August through October, according to NOAA. Hurricane outages run longer than most: in 2024, major events such as hurricanes Beryl, Helene and Milton made up nearly 9 of the 11 hours the average US customer spent without power, according to the Energy Information Administration. Helene alone cut power to 5.9 million customers, and North Carolina's co-ops took about two weeks to restore 95% of them; some mountain homes waited far longer.

A sensible plan covers three days on battery and has a way to recharge for longer. That's also why a battery-only plan for a week of air conditioning doesn't work at portable sizes.

Step 1: what has to keep running?

• Food. Ready.gov says a closed fridge keeps food cold for about four hours, a full freezer about 48 hours and a half-full freezer about 24. Food above 40°F for two hours or more should be thrown away. The fridge can run in shifts, but it's usually the biggest single job for the battery.
• Medicine. Ready.gov advises discarding refrigerated medication if the power is out for more than a day, unless the label says otherwise, and having a plan for medicines that need cold storage and for powered medical devices.
• Heat and air. Fans draw about 40 W each. Run them on the station's AC outlets, or use USB fans to skip the inverter; see how long a power station runs a fan.
• Communication. Phones and a battery radio for updates; Wi-Fi only if your internet provider is still up.
• Water. If you have a sump pump, it can matter more than anything else in the house during heavy rain.

Can a power station keep you cool?

Fans, yes; air conditioning, only briefly. An 8,000 BTU ENERGY STAR window unit draws about 533 W while the compressor runs. Running continuously in the heat, it empties a 2,048 Wh station in about 4.7 h. That's enough to cool a bedroom for part of the night, not to cool the house through the day. The unit also needs a moment of extra power to start; its surge isn't published, so leave headroom on the station's surge rating. Central air needs 240 V and far more power than portable stations deliver.

Spend the battery on fans and on keeping one room shaded and ventilated. Heat can be dangerous, especially for older adults, so plan where you'd go if the outage runs long.

What about the sump pump?

A 1/2 hp sump pump draws about 1,050 W while it runs and about 2,150 W for a moment at start-up, so the station's surge rating matters more than its capacity. Pump time depends entirely on the rain and your water table. Plug the pump straight into the station, and if it's hard-wired, have a licensed electrician add a plug or inlet.

The takeaway: about 800 W of panels roughly keeps pace with the essentials on a fair fall day, while 400 W only slows the drain. Fans and other extras need more panels and a station that accepts more solar, or running the fridge in shifts. Cloudy days after a storm give much less, so start each outage with a full battery.

Bring folding panels inside before the storm and set them up once the wind has passed. Keep them fully in the sun: shade on even part of a panel cuts its output sharply. A car's 12 V socket adds only about 100 W, and never idle a car in an attached garage.

Step 4: safety lines that don't bend

• Generators stay outside. Ready.gov says generators and fuel must be used outdoors and at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages. The CPSC counts an average of 85 US deaths a year from carbon monoxide from portable generators. After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, CDC investigators traced carbon monoxide poisonings almost entirely to generators run inside homes or garages; in Florida in 2004, cases peaked within three days of landfall. Install battery-powered CO alarms on every level.
• No back-feeding. Never plug a generator or power station into a wall or dryer outlet to power the house. It can electrocute line workers restoring your power. Home circuits need a transfer switch or inlet installed by a licensed electrician.
• Keep the station dry. Don't run it outdoors in rain or in standing water unless it's rated for that.
• Medical devices. Talk to your doctor about a backup plan. Utility medical programs give notice, not power: FPL says its Medically Essential Service program does not guarantee uninterrupted power or priority restoration after a storm.

Step 5: when the storm is a few days out

1. Charge the power station to 100% and top up phones, battery lights and the radio.
2. Turn off the station's ECO or auto-off mode so it doesn't cut the fridge or CPAP when the load drops between cycles.
3. Test it: plug in the fridge and let the compressor start, and do the same with the sump pump, so you know the surge rating holds.
4. Turn the fridge and freezer to their coldest settings and fill empty freezer space; keep the doors closed once the power goes out.
5. Bring panels and the station indoors, above any flood level.