The power went out. Does your smart garage door open? Does your smart lock? Here’s the 10-minute test to run before a storm finds out for you.

November 5, 2026

By Kim Komando

We put Wi-Fi in our locks, lights, thermostats and garage doors. Then we forgot to ask one question: What happens when the electricity stops?

Winter storm season is approaching. Let’s find out on your schedule, not the storm’s.

🚪 What dies and what doesn’t

• Garage door opener: Dead, unless it has a battery backup. California has required one on new openers since 2019. Everybody else, look up. A red emergency release cord hangs from the opener rail. Pull it and you can lift the door by hand. Do it with the door closed, because a door with a broken spring can slam down fast.
• Smart lock: Good news. Most run on AA batteries, so the keypad keeps working in a blackout. The app and voice control quit when the Wi-Fi does. Dead lock battery? Many models have a backup key or terminals where you hold a 9-volt battery to jump it. Know which yours has.
• Wi-Fi: Gone. That means no smart speakers, no streaming and no Wi-Fi calling, a problem if your home cell signal is lousy.
• Fridge: Hang in there. The USDA says food stays safe about four hours if you keep the door shut. A full freezer holds about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24.

🔦 The 10-minute blackout drill

Rehearse a blackout this weekend, in daylight, with coffee.

1. Get a battery backup. A small one, called a UPS, runs about $63. Plug your modem and router into it, and your Wi-Fi can often stay up an hour or more. FYI, if your internet company’s neighborhood gear loses power, too, you’re offline anyway. Your phone’s hotspot is plan B.
2. Flip the breakers. Turn off the circuits for the garage and your router at the breaker box. Skip this if anyone at home relies on medical equipment.
3. Walk the house. Open the garage by hand. Punch in your lock code. Note which lights, cameras and doorbells go dark.
4. Turn it all back on. Run the garage opener once so it latches back onto the door. Check that cameras, thermostats and plugs reconnect.
5. Leave a note. Tape “Pull the red cord” inside the garage. Future you says thanks.

A smart home is only as smart as its backup plan. Mine? Generac generators that power the entire house. When the lights go out on my street, my Wi-Fi doesn’t even notice. (Mine run on natural gas. Propane models are available, too.)

I’d tell you a joke about power outages, but I don’t want to leave you in the dark.

🗣️ Text/post this stat: Your smart garage door dies in a blackout, but a red cord hanging from the opener lets you lift it by hand. Go find yours tonight. GetKim.com

📩 Send this to someone who just made their whole house “smart.”