After a storm: a safety checklist for landlords
After a storm, the dangers change. Wet wiring, downed lines and generators running too close to the building cause injuries and deaths that have nothing to do with the storm itself.
Tell tenants right away
- Never touch a fallen power line. Call the power company.
- Don't touch outlets, breakers or appliances that are or have been in standing water.
- Run generators outside only, at least 20 feet from the home, with the exhaust pointed away. Never in a garage or basement.
- If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside, then call 911.
- Use flashlights, not candles.
Before you restore power
If water reached outlets, appliances or the breaker panel, keep people away and have a qualified electrician check it before anyone turns things back on.
Before the next storm
- Make sure every tenant has your after hours number.
- Check that CO alarms work, especially where tenants might use generators.
- Tell tenants where the main water shutoff and the breaker panel are.
Teach it once, for every tenant. SaferResident sends each tenant a 20 minute phone course built around your building, with reminders, and gives you a certificate for every unit. $2 per unit per month, billed once a year as $24 per unit. Free for the first 60 days.
Sources
- Survival After the Storm: Stay Alive, Avoid These Deadly Hazards (PDF), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Neighborhood Safety Network
- What to Do to Protect Yourself From Electrical Hazards, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Carbon Monoxide Information Center, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Keep Warm and Safe This Winter: Tips for Using Generators, Furnaces and Space Heaters, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Candle Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
Updated October 1, 2026. General safety information. It doesn't replace your building's safety systems, local codes or your lease. In an emergency, call 911.