Power outages are an inevitable challenge for any food business – whether you run a café, deli, catering company or grocery store. When the lights go out, the stakes are high: food safety, business profitability and customer trust are all on the line.
While power outages are frustrating and unpredictable, being prepared can make all the difference. With the right systems and staff training in place, your business can reduce disruption, protect perishable food and reopen with confidence.
Power Outages: A Growing Concern for U.S. Food Businesses
Power outages are increasingly frequent and severe across the United States, posing significant challenges for food businesses. Recent data highlights the escalating nature of these disruptions:
Rising Frequency
From 2000 to 2023, approximately 80% of major power outages in the U.S. were attributed to weather-related events, with the last decade witnessing twice as many outages as the previous one.
Economic Impact
In 2022, the U.S. experienced 18 weather-related disasters, each causing over $1 billion in damages, underscoring the financial risks associated with power disruptions.
Recent Events:
- Austin, Texas (May 2025): A severe storm led to over 30,000 residents losing power, marking it as the third worst storm in the city's history.
- Houston, Texas (May 2025): Thunderstorms with winds up to 70 mph caused power outages affecting more than 160,000 residents.
These incidents highlight the critical need for food businesses to have robust contingency plans to ensure food safety and minimize operational disruptions during power outages.
How Can I Prepare for a Power Outage?
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Use the following tips to help safeguard your food business:
1. Invest in a Backup Generator
A generator can help keep refrigeration units, point-of-sale systems and critical lighting operational during an outage. Even a small generator can buy you valuable time to preserve inventory and finish transactions.
2. Keep an Emergency Kit On-Site
Prepare an easily accessible kit that includes:
- Emergency flashlights
- Fully charged portable power banks
- A manual credit card swiper
- A paper list of emergency contacts, including your local health department
- Printed time and temperature logs and a pen
- Battery powered radio to listen to emergency weather broadcasts
3. Develop an Emergency Response Plan
Have a clear plan that outlines what employees should do if the power goes out during their shift. Make sure every staff member knows the protocol, including food safety steps and customer communication procedures.
4. Train Staff in Food Safety
A well-trained team is your best defense in an emergency. All employees should understand how to handle food safely during an outage, including how to monitor temperatures and identify unsafe products.
5. Know the Rules in Your Area
Health departments in many jurisdictions require food businesses to stop operating if power is out for more than two hours. Check your local regulations in advance and build them into your emergency plan.
What Should I Do During a Power Outage?
If the power goes out, act quickly and cautiously to protect food safety:
- Note the exact time the power went out. Time is critical when evaluating food safety.
- Discard partially cooked food that hadn’t reached its safe cooking temperature when the outage began.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. An unopened fridge can keep food cold for about four hours; a full freezer can maintain safe temperatures for 24–48 hours.
- Add ice or dry ice to cold storage areas such as refrigerators or freezers to maintain cold temperatures if needed.
- Check hot holding equipment. Discard any hot food that has dropped below 140°F (60°C) for more than two hours.
- Use a food thermometer to monitor internal food temperatures regularly.
- Don’t forget to communicate with customers. Let them know what’s happening, whether you’re staying open, reducing your services or closing temporarily. Keep the experience as safe and calm as possible.
What Should I Do When Power is Restored?
Once your power is back on, take the following steps before reopening:
- Calculate the duration of the outage. Use this to assess which food items are still safe.
- Check food temperatures. Discard any perishable food that has been above 40°F (4°C) for more than two hours.
- Look for signs of spoilage. Toss any food with foul odors, discoloration or unusual textures.
- Check frozen items. Food with ice crystals may be safely refrozen. If fully thawed, evaluate or discard.
- Clean and sanitize all affected areas, including shelves, counters and containers near discarded food.
- Verify operational equipment. Ensure refrigerators are below 40°F (4°C), freezers are below 0°F (-18°C) and hot-holding units reach 140°F (60°C) or higher.
- Confirm that lighting, ventilation and hot/cold running water are restored and functioning properly.
Food Safety Is Always Your Responsibility
No matter the circumstances, food businesses are responsible for ensuring the food they sell is safe. Emergencies don’t excuse unsafe practices. Being proactive with planning and staff training is the best way to protect both your customers and your business.
Userve delivers Food Handler and Food Protection Manager programs designed to equip all staff with the knowledge required to ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Enroll online or contact us today to discover how we can help you protect public health and achieve food safety compliance.