Long-Outage Decision Log

Record what changed, what to check next, and when to seek help or leave.

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1. Calculate

Use household-specific inputs.
2. Verify

Check labels, manuals, and local guidance.
3. Practice

Confirm the plan works before an outage.

Step 1

Write down the facts before choosing a path

Outage began / practice date Next official check-in Utility or official update Source checked at

Use this for a real outage or practice. Record the source and time for each decision; conditions and official instructions can change.

People, pets, or care needs to protect first Do not put medical details in analytics or a shared copy of this sheet. Immediate danger or leave trigger Examples include fire, carbon monoxide, flooding, damaged wiring, or an official evacuation order.

Step 2 · next 24 hours

Confirm the household runway through tomorrow

Count only what is safe and usable now. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, use safe stored water, protect medication and powered care needs with their responsible instructions, and use flashlights rather than candles.

Next 24-hour household runway
Need	Safe and available through	Next action or source	Owner / check time
Water
Food that has stayed within safe limits
Medication or powered care
Temperature and shelter
Light, charging, and communication

Safety stop: Leave and contact the appropriate emergency or local authority when the home is unsafe. Never run a generator, grill, or fuel-burning camp stove indoors or in a garage; follow current manufacturer, utility, public-health, and emergency instructions.

Step 3 · day 3 checkpoint

Test the runway before it becomes urgent

Recheck the next three questions after an official update or a major change in weather, health, water, food, temperature, roads, or communication. A resupply idea is not a plan until its route, source, timing, and fallback are verified.

What remains safe and usable? What changed since the last check? Verified resupply or support option Record the official source, safe route, timing, and a fallback, not only a store name. Safer alternate location and transport check Confirm that the destination can support the people, pets, medication, mobility, and temperature needs.

Step 4 · day 7 decision

Choose stay, resupply, relocate, or ask for help

Choose the path that is safest under the current facts, not the path that feels most committed to the original plan. Reassess after each official update and write the condition that would change your choice.

Long-outage decision paths
Path	Why it is safe enough now	Next action and time	Change condition
Stay and conserve
Resupply through a verified route
Relocate to a safer location
Ask for help now

Next review date and official source Who has the current plan?

Source path and limits

Use current official guidance for the decision in front of you

This log helps organize observations; it does not replace an evacuation order, emergency service, clinician, equipment manual, utility instruction, or local public-health advisory. Source details were reviewed August 12, 2026 and should be checked again before a real event.

Show the worksheet planning illustration

Editorial illustration of a blank long-outage decision log with day checkpoints, a radio, flashlight, phone, water bottle, pencil, and stay-or-leave path

Next action

Keep this plan usable after today.

Review the source details, practice the setup, and update this copy as conditions change. Methodology reviewed August 12, 2026.

Build the outage readiness plan Read the long-outage guide How we research