Winter Power Outage Checklist for Hudson Valley Homes

By Phil Garabo, licensed electrician and owner of All American Electrical Services. Last updated: October 2026.

Quick answer

To get a Hudson Valley home ready for a winter outage, do five things before the first storm: service your generator, test your sump pump and CO detectors, label your electrical panel, stock lights and batteries, and stop running space heaters on shared circuits. A single 1,500 watt space heater draws about 12.5 amps, which is most of a standard 15 amp circuit.

Nor'easters and ice storms take down more lines in the Hudson Valley than any summer storm, and winter outages are the ones that freeze pipes and flood basements. This checklist comes from the calls we get every winter across Rockland, Orange, Westchester and Putnam counties.

Before the first storm: the checklist

Generator readiness

Standby generators

A standby generator exercises itself every week, but that short run does not replace an annual service. Before winter, have the oil, filters and plugs changed and the battery load tested. Then check the unit yourself: keep at least a few feet clear around it, and after heavy snow, clear drifts away from the air intake and exhaust so it can breathe. If you are still deciding whether a standby unit is worth it, our 2026 generator cost guide covers prices by size.

Portable generators

Portable generators keep a house going, but they cause most of the winter carbon monoxide injuries we hear about. Follow these rules every time:

• Never run it indoors, in a garage, a basement or a porch, even with the door open.
• Place it at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows and doors.
• Never backfeed the house with a double-ended cord plugged into an outlet. It can energize the utility line and injure a lineworker, and it can start a fire in your panel.
• Use a transfer switch or an interlock kit installed by a licensed electrician if you want to power hardwired circuits like the furnace or well pump.

Our standby vs portable generator guide explains which setup fits which kind of home.

Space heaters and overloaded circuits

Most space heaters draw 1,500 watts, which is about 12.5 amps at 120 volts. A standard bedroom or living room circuit is 15 amps, and continuous loads should stay under about 80 percent of that. In plain terms, one space heater uses up nearly a whole circuit.

Rules that prevent most winter electrical fires:

• Plug heaters straight into a wall outlet, never into a power strip or an extension cord.
• Run one heater per circuit, and do not share that circuit with a hair dryer or microwave.
• Feel the plug and outlet. If either is hot, unplug it and call an electrician. Heat at the outlet means a loose or worn connection.
• Keep three feet of clearance from beds, curtains and furniture.

If a breaker keeps tripping every time the heater runs, the circuit is telling you it is overloaded. Our guide on what it means when a circuit breaker will not reset explains what to check, and why breakers keep tripping in older homes covers the long-term fixes.

When half the house loses power

If half your lights work and half do not, and the neighbors have power, you have likely lost one of the two legs of your electrical service or a neutral connection. This is not a tripped breaker. It is common after ice storms, when a damaged service drop or a loose connection at the meter loses contact.

What to do:

• Turn off sensitive electronics and large appliances to protect them from low or uneven voltage.
• Call your utility first and say "partial power, half the circuits are dead." If the fault is on their side, they fix it at no cost.
• If the utility side checks out, call a licensed electrician. A burnt connection inside the panel is a fire risk.

Our full guide to half the house having no power walks through the causes step by step.

When to call an electrician

• A burning smell from an outlet, switch or the panel
• Outlets or plugs that are warm to the touch
• A breaker that trips immediately when you reset it
• Lights that dim or flicker when the heat or a heater kicks on
• Half the house dead after the utility confirms their side is fine
• You want a generator transfer switch or interlock installed before the storm

If you see smoke or flames, call 911 first. For everything else, call us at (845) 786-3143. You can also see everything we handle on our residential electrical services page.

Frequently asked questions

How many space heaters can I run on one circuit?

One. A typical 1,500 watt space heater draws about 12.5 amps, which is most of a standard 15 amp circuit. Running two heaters, or a heater plus a hair dryer, on the same circuit will usually trip the breaker and can overheat the wiring.

Can I plug a space heater into an extension cord or power strip?

No. Space heater makers and fire safety groups say to plug heaters directly into a wall outlet. Most extension cords and power strips are not rated for a continuous 12.5 amp load, and they can overheat.

How far from the house should a portable generator be?

At least 20 feet, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors and vents. Never run a portable generator in a garage, basement or porch, even with the door open, because carbon monoxide builds up quickly.

Why does half my house have power during a winter outage?

Usually because one leg of your service or a neutral connection has failed, often at the service drop or meter after ice or wind damage. Call your utility first. If their side is fine, a licensed electrician should check the panel and service connections.

When should I service my generator before winter?

October or November, before the first nor'easter. An annual service covers oil, filters, spark plugs and a battery test. The battery is the most common reason a standby generator fails to start when the power goes out.