In one embodiment, a device in a network detects a power outage event. The device monitors one or more operational properties of the device, in response to detecting the power outage event. The device determines whether to initiate a traffic control mechanism based on the one or more monitored operational properties of the device, according to a power outage traffic control policy. The device causes one or more nodes in the network that send traffic to the device to regulate the traffic sent to the device, in response to a determination that the traffic control mechanism should be initiated.