06/20/2026
Lessons Learned From 15+ Hours Without Power ⚡
Friday evening's storm left our neighborhood in the dark for over 15 hours. At one point, 162 nearby homes were without power, and thousands metro wide. Every time the utility updated the restoration estimate, it seemed to get pushed back a little further.
Like most people, we suddenly found ourselves without:
❌ Lights
❌ Internet and Wi-Fi
❌ TV and entertainment
❌ Water heater
❌ Furnace
❌ Kitchen appliances
The silver lining? This has been an unusually cool June. If this outage had happened during a heat wave, sleeping would have been miserable. Instead, the temperatures were comfortable enough that the night wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.
My biggest concern was food.
A freezer and 2 refrigerators had food in them, representing hundreds of dollars in groceries that could have spoiled.
Thankfully, I had battery backup power stations. Unfortunately, I wasn't as prepared as I thought.
Lesson #1: Owning emergency equipment isn't the same as being prepared.
I had different brands of battery stations. One required a quick press of the power button. Another required holding the button for several seconds. In the dark, under stress, I couldn't remember which was which.
At first, some displays didn't light up, and I assumed they weren't working.
Eventually I got everything running:
🔋 Refrigerator #1 ~165 watts
🔋 Refrigerator #2 ~192 watts
🔋 Freezer ~100 watts
Using a 2,000-watt battery station and a 3,800-watt battery station, plus a handful of extension cords, I managed to keep everything cold and save hundreds of dollars worth of food.
Lesson #2: Create emergency cue cards.
When the lights and internet is out is NOT the time to be searching manuals or trying to remember how equipment works.
I'm now creating simple instructions for each piece of equipment:
✅ How to turn it on
✅ How to connect appliances
✅ Expected runtime (based on specific appliances)
✅ Charging procedures
✅ Backup plans
Lesson #3: Have a timeline-based outage plan.
Most outages around here are only a few hours long. And living fairly close to a substation we rarely lose power for long.
This outage taught me to think differently.
0–4 Hours:
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
Monitor utility updates.
4–8 Hours:
Deploy battery backups.
Start planning for longer-term power.
8–16 Hours:
Prepare generator support.
Begin battery recharging strategy.
1–3 Days (never got this far, this time):
Rotate charging schedules.
Use solar if available.
Manage fuel supplies.
Lesson #4: Batteries and generators work best together.
My small 2,700-watt inverter generator can produce enough power to recharge battery stations while they continue powering appliances.
Instead of running a generator 24/7, batteries can handle the loads while the generator runs periodically to recharge them.
Less fuel. Less noise. More flexibility.
Lesson #5: The job isn't over when power comes back.
Once electricity was restored, there was still plenty to do:
☑ Recharge the battery power stations
☑ Refuel for the generator
☑ Put away extension cords
☑ Reset emergency supplies
☑ Review what worked and what didn't
And finally...
Lesson #6: The best emergency plan is the one you'll actually use.
The storm exposed some gaps in my preparedness, but it also confirmed that a little planning can prevent a lot of loss.
This outage could have cost hundreds of dollars in spoiled food. Instead, it became a valuable learning experience.
Yes, even electricians loose power.
What was your biggest lesson from Friday night's storm?
-Tony
Harrison Electric is one of the best Electrical Contractors in Minneapolis & the surrounding areas offering repair, maintenance and installation services. Request a service at 763-544-3300 or by visiting our website today.
