Steps to Take
During an Outage 

During any power interruption, immediately turn off or disconnect all major appliances (air-conditioner, dryer, washer, dishwasher, range). Also, disconnect any heavy-duty motors such as pool pumps or water heaters. 

When the electricity comes back on, a sudden surge of power caused by the high demand for electricity could complicate and delay power restoration efforts. A second outage is more likely to occur if you don't turn off  major appliances when an outage occurs. 

Leave on just a few lights so you'll know when power has been restored. Don't turn off the freezer or refrigerator as you might forget to turn them back on when power is restored. 

Wait at least one minute after the power is restored before turning back on all equipment. 

More Steps to Take