Hurricane Helene killed at least 50 people and left more than 4.8 million people without power in the Southeastern U.S. on Friday.
Though it is not often considered the top safety risk of hurricanes, power outages can have major implications for one’s health and pose an additional threat to those who are recovering from the natural disaster. Here’s what to know, and how to keep yourself and your family safe.
Power outages mean no ability to run an air conditioning system in one’s home, and widespread loss of power in a community means there are no public cooling centers to escape the heat.
This is particularly a problem during summer storms in hot, humid climates, such as Texas, which faced severe challenges when Hurricane Beryl hit in July 2024. The hurricane’s impact led to significant outages and resulted in multiple heat-related deaths.
If you are dealing with heat issues during a power outage, it’s important to stay inside and out of the sun as much as possible, stay hydrated and not exert yourself. If safe water is available (it’s possible for power outages to disrupt water purification and other means of maintaining usable water) you can dampen your clothes to keep cool in the absence of air conditioning.
Also, keep an eye out for signs of heat-related illness, such as headaches, dizziness, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, nausea and confusion, which may require medical attention.
Food safety
Health standards state that food must not be in the zone of 40°F to 140°F for more than two hours to avoid harmful bacteria from growing. When your power goes out, however, so does the cooling mechanism in your refrigerator, which keeps food safe at below that 40°F mark.
While your fridge will keep food cool for some time (the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that a properly working fridge should keep food safe for approximately four hours after a power outage), the longer you go without power, the more likely it is that your food will spoil.
This is particularly a problem for people who are unaware of how long their power has been out. If you return home unaware that your food has spoiled due to a power outage in your now-working fridge, you may inadvertently put yourself at risk for foodborne illness. Experts previously told Yahoo Life that you are safest throwing away meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers after you learn of a power outage for this reason.
One trick in order to tell how long your fridge may have been without power is to keep a cup of frozen water in your freezer with a coin on top of the ice, Jill Roberts, a food safety expert and associate professor at the University of South Florida, told Yahoo Life. If it melts, the coin drops to the bottom — so, whether or not it re-freezes, you’ll know a little more about the inner workings of your fridge.
Medical devices
Some people rely on medical devices that are powered by electricity, such as CPAP machines for sleep apnea, insulin pumps for diabetes or nebulizers for respiratory conditions. When the power goes out, so too, can your ability to use these machines.
If you have a device that is compatible, keeping a portable battery charged and on hand during these scenarios can buy you time while you wait for the power to return. You may also want to consider a backup generator in your home for emergency scenarios.
It’s also important to keep information about your local hospitals and clinics nearby during a crisis, so you can reach out for assistance.
Medication
Many medications, such as insulin for managing diabetes, need to be kept at a cool temperature — which can be impossible when the power goes out. In this case, it’s important to have a plan in place for storing medications. This could include using coolers with ice packs, if you are able to freeze them in advance, in order to maintain the necessary temperature.
If you rely on medications that need to stay cool, it’s important to talk to your pharmacist or doctor about how long they can be safely stored without refrigeration and what steps to take if you lose power.
It’s also worth noting that, in an emergency situation, you may be able to get medication you need from a hospital or urgent care center should yours no longer be viable due to temperatures.
