A practical plan if an outage drags on for weeks: when to leave, how to find shelter, protect medicine and food, and stay safe.
- Decide by day three: stay only if you have heat, water and medicine covered.
- Leave early if someone depends on medical equipment or heat.
- Food keeps about 4 hours in the fridge and 24 to 48 hours in the freezer.
Very long outages are rare in Canada, but the 1998 Quebec ice storm showed that some people can wait weeks. If yours drags on, the plan is less about stockpiling and more about knowing when to move. This page gives that plan. For how likely it is, see how long outages last.
The first day
Report the outage and check your utility's outage map for the estimated restoration time. Keep the fridge and freezer closed. A fridge keeps food safe for about four hours, a full freezer about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24 hours. Charge phones and batteries from your power station while you still have charge to spare.
Decide by day three
If the utility says restoration is a week or more away, decide whether to stay. In winter, a house without heat can become unsafe, and pipes can freeze. Staying is realistic only if you have a safe heat source, enough water and a way to keep medicine and key devices running.
When to leave
- Indoor temperature is falling toward the low teens or lower and you have no safe heat.
- Someone needs medical equipment, refrigerated medicine or a heated home, such as an infant or an older adult.
- Water has stopped and you cannot make enough drinkable water.
Options, in order: family or friends outside the outage area, a hotel, then a warming centre or reception centre opened by your municipality. Call your municipality or check its website to find the nearest one. Take medicine, ID, phone chargers and a few days of clothes.
If you stay
- Heat: close off one small room and live in it. See heating in an outage if you have it set up, and never use a barbecue or camp stove indoors.
- Water: store it first, then filter. See water filters.
- Power: run only essentials. Size a battery with the sizing guide.
- Food: eat fridge food first, then freezer, then shelf-stable.
Be ready before it happens
Know where your nearest warming centre is and keep a bag you can grab. Start with the 72 hour checklist, then step up with the supply list and the outage planner.
Quick answers
What if the power is out for weeks in winter?
Check the utility's restoration time. If it is more than a week away and you lack safe heat, move to family, a hotel or a warming centre.
How long does food last in a power outage?
About four hours in a closed fridge, 48 hours in a full freezer and 24 hours in a half-full one.
Where can I find a warming centre?
Your municipality opens them during major outages. Check its website or call its information line.