Power Outage Guidance

• Before
  • Keep a flashlight with spare batteries immediately accessible.
  • Practice personal preparedness by having an emergency kit available.
  • Turn off all computers, monitors, printers, and other devices when they are not in use.
  • Ensure you know at least two ways out of your building, where your building is equipped with a generator, and whether there is emergency lighting in your area. 
  • Do not overload power strips.
• During
  • Remain where you are, if there is no immediate danger. 
  • Report all power outages to the Department of Public Safety. 
  • Pay attention to any ISU Alerts that are issued. 
  • Do not light candles or other types of flames for lighting, Instead use a flashlight or glow sticks.
  • If you are in an elevator, stay calm. The elevator should return to a predesignated floor under emergency power and the doors will automatically open. Use the phone to call for help if needed. 
• After
  • If there is an emergency, call 911.
  • Check cooking appliances to ensure they were not left powered on and unattended while the power went out. 
  • Do not touch any electrical power lines and keep others away from them. Report downed power lines by calling 911. 

Faculty and Staff

After power is restored and you return to normal operations, it is recommended that any sensitive equipment, processes, and research be checked for proper operation. Use this opportunity to discuss the power outage with your team and identify the strengths and weaknesses of how the incident went. Develop a departmental plan for how to respond to a power outage in the future.