How to Survive If the Power Grid Goes Down: Power Grid Failure Preparedness Guide

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Report Highlights: Cyber attacks, natural disasters, solar flares, and crumbling infrastructure are all causes for concern to our power grid. Preparedness for these scenarios is key to survival.

A catastrophic power outage could last days, weeks, months, or even years.
Blackout survival encompasses combatting threats such as hunger, dehydration, the elements, and even people.
Between 2014 and 2023, 15,899 people died during self-defense situations involving firearms.
Mass shootings have resulted in 1,399 deaths since 1966.
Countries around the globe have been preparing for catastrophic cyberattacks on power grids since 2017.

Ammo.com strives to provide accurate information on a variety of topics. You can view the reliable sources used in this article HERE.

How to Survive a Catastrophic Power Outage

Blackout survival is something every American should familiarize themself with. Not only is a catastrophic power outage possible, but the threats that come with it would be formidable and unforgiving.

Catastrophic power outages have many causes and can last for long periods of time. Understanding what is happening and reacting accordingly will greatly improve your odds of survival.

Essentially, you should be prepared to replace every amenity and necessity in your life. From how you get water and food to how you react to threats, this guide covers every aspect of surviving a catastrophic power outage during long periods.

Chances of Power Grid Failure

A 2018 National Infrastructure Advisory Council report stated that a catastrophic power outage from a cyber attack could last days or even years. ⁴ Blackout survival preparation begins before the lights ever go out, and you should be prepared for prolonged outages.

Let’s review some reasons you may experience a catastrophic power outage.

Electromagnetic Pulse

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) would affect the power grid and most electronics. This type of catastrophe can be generated from a nuclear weapon detonated in low orbit. The result would be a brief burst of electromagnetic energy appearing as a high-frequency sine wave.

An EMP could take out the power grid for half of the entire country, or its effect might be more localized. Either way, we’re in for a massive shock if this happens.

Solar Flares

We often hear about solar flares, which can impact the power grid, electronics, and more. The process by which a solar flare would take out a massive chunk of the power grid is pretty much the same as an EMP, except it is a natural phenomenon. If the sun decides to send off large solar flares, then there’s no way we can stop it.

Solar flares have happened before. In 1989, a solar flare knocked out the power for millions of Canadians for nine hours. How likely is this to reoccur? Some scientists have speculated that this “when, not if” situation is more likely than an EMP attack.

Cyber Attacks

Governments around the globe are preparing for cyberattacks on their power grids. Congress has reason to believe that malicious hackers employed by terrorist groups or foreign state actors are looking into ways to disable the American power grid through a cyberattack. Even low-level cyber vandalism could knock out the power where you live for weeks.

While the power being on in the rest of the country would make things easier for you and your family, you’ll still need to prepare for a brief, localized outage. In a worst-case scenario, the same hackers can cause localized disasters around the power plant.

Infrastructure Failure

The American power grid is old and poorly maintained, which means it doesn’t take an EMP, solar flare, or cyberattack to take it down. An electrical grid failure in one part of the country could quickly spread to another due to the grid’s interconnectivity. The U.S. power grid is divided into three sections: East, West, and Texas. With half the country on one grid and the other half on another, the entire grid could go down like a house of cards.

There are many threats to the power grid. Some are man-made, some are natural, and some are products of human failure or the ravages of time. However you slice it, the power grid going down, in whole or in part, isn’t an idle concern. It’s something that could happen at any second. Here’s how to prepare:

How to Survive if the Power Grid Goes Down

Whether you’re looking at a power outage lasting nine hours or nine years, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst is the goal.

Resources are great for the short term, but resourcefulness is the key to prolonged blackout survival. Here are the most important aspects of surviving a massive power outage.

Water

Clean drinking water is essential to surviving a catastrophic power outage.

Whether a natural disaster contaminates water or a cyberattack on the power grid affects water treatment plants, this often-overlooked aspect of prepping can spell the difference between life and death.

FEMA recommends storing one gallon of water per person per day for hygiene, cooking, and drinking. ¹ Sure, stocking up on bottles of water is a great idea. But what if you need to escape or flee to safety? How would you source water if you must abandon your stockpile?

Sourcing and filtering water over extended periods of time may prove essential to survival someday. Studying maps that show nearby sources of natural water, learning how to remove contaminants from water, and stockpiling water storage containers ahead of a catastrophic power outage could save your life.

Food

Another essential aspect of life without power is acquiring food. The USDA states that food in a fridge without power is safe for a mere four hours, and food in a freezer is safe for only 48. ³

If the power grid goes down for any reason, you won’t be able to purchase or cook food without additional resources.

Pre-packaged food like canned goods and MREs (Meal-Ready-to-Eat) are a great way to feed your family for a short time. Skills such as hunting, fishing, and foraging (even in urban environments) will be critical for surviving prolonged power grid failures (such as a cyberattack).

Heat & Cooling

You’ve prepared food and water. Now, it's time to survive the environment, starting with its deadly extreme temperatures.

FEMA recommends going to a public place with AC in extreme heat when temperatures are dangerously high, and the power is out, which isn’t possible in this scenario. ⁷ Staying hydrated, taking breaks, and watching for signs of heat stroke (confusion, disorientation, rapid heart rate, nausea/vomiting, headaches, etc.) are vital to blackout survival in extreme heat.

Hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning are extreme threats in colder weather. Wearing layers and using heat sources while being mindful of ventilation and carbon monoxide are the keys to surviving power outages in treacherous weather.

Light

While light may not be quite as necessary for survival as food or water, not having it can be a nuisance at best. At worst, the dark can cause injury or even death. During a survival situation, an injury as minor as a broken toe can spell all but certain death. So, some sort of source of light is a must.

You can stockpile batteries for your flashlights, but if there’s an EMP, those batteries may prove useless. This may also be true of LED headlamps and other sources of electric light.

Stockpiling these items isn’t a bad idea. Assuming that they will always work is, however. The Red Cross warns against using them, but it’s best to keep some candles on hand. ⁵ Be sure to light them in proper holders and away from anything flammable, and extinguish them before sleeping.

Communication

Communication will prove challenging during a blackout, no matter its cause. Whether it’s due to a lack of power, a cyberattack, or too many people attempting to use them simultaneously, cell phones will eventually go down.

The FCC requires each cell phone tower to have an eight-hour battery pack. Assuming your cell phone is charged, and towers are still standing, that eight-hour window is critical to receiving news and updates, contacting family, and reaching out to emergency services. ⁶

Handheld communication devices and ham radios are great resources during catastrophic outages. However, these will be useless during prolonged outages and catastrophic failure due to an EMP.

Having a plan to reach family, provide medical treatment, and receive news during an outage is ideal.

Medical Resources

Whether you’re medication-dependent or concerned about infection during a catastrophic power outage, you can mitigate risk and keep yourself healthy enough to thrive in any apocalyptic scenario.

If you rely on medical equipment, keep a generator and fuel handy. If medication such as insulin or heart meds keeps you healthy, stocking up on them beforehand is critical (though it may not be as good as your prescription, insulin can be purchased at Walmart).

Healthy individuals should be prepared to treat infections and injuries. Having a comprehensive medical bag and first aid kit, complete with antibiotics, stints, and tourniquets, is key to surviving a prolonged power outage.

Looting & Violence

When the lights go out, panic sets in. If we’ve learned anything from the 1977 ‘Night of Terror’ in New York City, blackout survival goes beyond food, water, and heat. People can also become threats.

Stockpiling essentials lets you avoid the dangerous crowd that might fill your community after it goes dark. Arming yourself and family members, knowing weak points in your home’s security, and having an escape plan to leave heavily populated areas are critical to survival.

How to Prepare for a Cyberattack on the Power Grid

In 2017, the United States government and WEF (World Economic Forum) began preparing for cyberattacks on power grids.

These attacks are especially concerning because they would affect every aspect of life, from traffic cameras to medical devices, communications, banks, and much more.

Although the prepping techniques detailed above apply here, you will need a few additional things to get through this type of catastrophic power outage.