Preparing for a Texas Power Outage (Storms & Freezes)
By the TexasPowerCost Editorial Team — independent Texas electricity analysis · Last reviewed October 18, 2026 · how we analyze plans
Last updated: October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
Texans do not get many quiet years on the grid. Summer brings hurricanes and violent thunderstorms; winter brings hard freezes; and on the most extreme days, the grid operator sometimes asks everyone to ease up on power for a while. None of that has to be frightening. A little preparation, done calmly before anything happens, handles the great majority of what an outage throws at a household.
The short answer
Keep a simple kit ready — flashlights, batteries, power banks, water, non-perishable food, and a manual or hand-crank phone charger. Know your food-safety limits: a closed fridge holds food safely for about 4 hours, a full freezer for about 48. Have a backup plan for any powered medical equipment and tell your provider and utility about it in advance. And treat generators with real respect — carbon monoxide from a portable generator run indoors can kill.
What Causes Outages in Texas (and Why ERCOT Asks You to Conserve)
Texas loses power in two very different seasons. In summer, hurricanes, straight-line winds, and severe thunderstorms knock down lines and can leave neighborhoods dark for days; in winter, hard freezes strain both the equipment and the grid itself. On the most extreme days, ERCOT — the operator that runs the grid for most of the state — may issue a conservation appeal, asking Texans to cut back when demand creeps close to supply. That is usually a request, not an outage, but it is a good cue to be ready. Every kilowatt-hour the state avoids at the peak eases the strain, and knowing what uses the most electricity in your home tells you what to switch off first. It also helps to understand how weather drives both your bill and your outage risk, since the same freezes and heat waves push on all of it. When ERCOT does issue a notice, ERCOT grid alerts explained covers what each level — Weather Watch, conservation appeal, EEA 1 through 3 — asks of you and how rotating outages are decided.
Build a Simple Outage Kit
You do not need a bunker. A modest, well-chosen kit, kept somewhere everyone can find it in the dark, covers almost everything:
- Flashlights and a good supply of spare batteries (skip candles when you can — open flames are a fire risk).
- Power banks, charged and ready, plus a hand-crank or car charger for phones.
- Drinking water — a few days' worth per person is a sensible target.
- Non-perishable food and a manual can opener that does not need power.
- Any regular medications, and a small first-aid kit.
- Warm blankets for a freeze, or a plan to stay cool and hydrated in summer heat.
Food Safety When the Power Goes Out
Your refrigerator and freezer are on a clock the moment the power stops, and the most important rule is the simplest: keep the doors closed. Federal food-safety guidance offers rough time limits to plan around.
| Where the food is (doors kept closed) | Roughly how long it stays safe |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | About 4 hours |
| Full freezer | About 48 hours |
| Half-full freezer | About 24 hours |
When power comes back, do not judge by look or smell. Perishable food — meat, dairy, leftovers, cut produce — that has sat above 40°F for more than about two hours should be thrown out. It is a frustrating loss, but food-borne illness during an outage is a far worse problem to have. When in doubt, throw it out.
Generators and Carbon Monoxide
A portable generator can be a real comfort during a long outage, but it is also where people get seriously hurt. Two rules matter more than all the rest, and neither bends.
Never run a generator indoors — and never back-feed your home
A portable generator's exhaust carries carbon monoxide, an invisible, odorless gas that can kill within minutes. Never run one indoors, in a garage or carport (even with the door open), or near windows and vents — always outdoors, well away from the house, with the exhaust pointed away. And never plug a generator into a wall outlet to power your home wiring: this back-feeding can electrocute utility crews and start fires. To run household circuits, have a licensed electrician install a proper transfer switch. Battery-powered carbon-monoxide alarms are cheap insurance.
Follow those two rules and a generator is a genuine help; ignore either and it becomes dangerous. Refuel it only when it is off and cool, run it on a dry surface, and keep it well away from where anyone is sleeping. If you are still deciding what to buy, backup power for Texas outages compares a portable generator, a standby generator and a home battery on cost, fuel per day and what each can keep running.
Medical Needs and Who to Call
If anyone in your home relies on powered equipment — an oxygen concentrator, a CPAP machine, home dialysis, a powered wheelchair, or refrigerated medication — plan for their power before an outage, not during one. Line up a backup: charged device batteries, a generator you can run safely, or a plan to relocate somewhere with power. Texas offers a Critical Care and Chronic Condition designation; registering through your retail provider and local utility flags your household for added notification and certain protections. It is not a promise of uninterrupted power, so keep your own backup ready and ask your doctor what to do during a long outage. A well-weatherized home also buys time in a freeze by holding its temperature longer.
When the power actually goes, call the right people. In Texas the physical restoration is handled by your TDU — the poles-and-wires utility for your region — not the retail provider that bills you. Depending on where you live, that is Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, or TNMP; look up your TDU's outage number and map and save them now. Only the TDU can restore power or give a repair estimate; call your retailer only for billing. This guide is general information to help you prepare calmly, not emergency advice — in any life-threatening situation, call 911.
The grid is out of your hands. Your plan isn't.
You cannot control the weather or the grid, but you can control what you pay for power. Compare every plan in your ZIP at your real usage in under a minute.
Compare Plans Free →Common Questions
How do I prepare for a power outage in Texas?
Put a simple kit together before storm or freeze season: flashlights and spare batteries, charged power banks, a few days of drinking water, non-perishable food with a manual can opener, and a hand-crank or car phone charger. Make a backup plan for anyone on powered medical equipment, and register any critical-care needs with your provider and utility ahead of time. Decide in advance how you would stay warm or cool safely, and never plan to run a generator indoors or in the garage.
How long does food last in the fridge without power?
Federal food-safety guidance suggests an unopened refrigerator keeps food safe for about four hours, and a full freezer for roughly 48 hours (about 24 if it is only half full). Keep the doors closed as much as possible. When power returns, perishable food that has sat above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than about two hours is best thrown out. When in doubt, throw it out — it is not worth the risk of getting sick.
Are generators safe to use during an outage?
They can be, but only when used correctly, because the danger is deadly and easy to underestimate. Never run a portable generator indoors, in a garage or carport, or near windows and vents — the exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an invisible, odorless gas that can kill within minutes. Always run it outdoors, well away from the house, exhaust pointed away from doors and windows. And never plug one into a wall outlet to back-feed your home wiring; that can electrocute utility crews and start a fire. To power household circuits safely, have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch.
Who do I call when the power goes out in Texas?
In Texas, the physical outage is restored by your TDU — the poles-and-wires utility for your area — not the retail provider that sends your bill. Depending on where you live that is Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, or TNMP, each with its own outage-reporting number and map. Program yours into your phone now. Call your retail provider only for billing; they cannot restore power or give you a repair timeline.