The 72-Hour Blackout Playbook · fridge-door format
The food clock & the CO card
The food clock — unopened doors, official numbers
| Appliance | Food stays safe for |
|---|
| Refrigerator | about 4 hours |
| Freezer, full | about 48 hours |
| Freezer, half-full | about 24 hours |
At 4 hours: move refrigerated perishables (meat,
fish, dairy, eggs, leftovers) to a cooler with ice — or apply the
when-in-doubt rule. (Source: FoodSafety.gov —
official figures, full link in the book.)
⚠ CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) — READ THIS CARD FIRST
- Generators run OUTDOORS ONLY, at least 20 feet from your
house — never in a garage, even with the door open.
- Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, or camping stove indoors —
not in a house, tent, or camper.
- A battery-powered CO alarm on every sleeping level. If it
sounds: everyone outside first, then call 911.
(Sources: CPSC Carbon Monoxide Information Center;
CDC — full links in the book.)
Hour 0 — the first 10 minutes
- Check your breaker panel — is it just you?
- Lanterns and headlamps out; phones to low-power mode
- Fridge and freezer doors: closed, and they stay closed
- Note the time — the food clock above just started
The full playbook covers the 24/48/72-hour timeline,
the phone power plan, lighting map, safe-heat rules, water rules, and
the "when to leave" list — one printable sheet for the fridge door.