Power outages can happen to anyone, anytime. Summer storms, winter storms, hurricanes or a pick-up truck wrapped around the pole on the main road can cause a loss of power that last from minutes to days.
Are you ready for when the lights go out? Planning and organizing now will keep you from fumbling in the dark. There are so many things you can do right now to get ready for the next big storm. You will be ready!
Can you hear me now?
We are used to instant communication and information by phone, television, radio and computer. Suddenly being cutoff can be inconvenient or downright scary.
Most land lines will continue to work in a power outage, but your cordless phone won’t! Be sure to have at least one old-school telephone connected if you still have a land line.
Cell phones are great when the power is out, as long as the battery lasts. Texting uses less power than talking. Surfing the web or gaming takes more power.
About that web surfing – you will not have Wi-Fi from your home modem with the power out. Those data charges can rack up fast, so find another form of entertainment for junior!
Consider keeping some extra battery packs charged up for emergencies. There are loads of choices for external battery packs starting as low as ten bucks that can completely recharge your cell phone at least twice.
In a pinch, you can use your car charger. Some cars (like mine) only have power to the charging port when the car is running. You may not want to use up your car’s gas to charge a phone if there is a power outage in your region that may last for days. Gas stations need electricity for pumps to work.
If you do use your car charger don’t leave your car running unattended and never run your car in a closed garage.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke, and you don’t have to be in indoors. If you have to slog through snow to get to your car, make sure the tailpipe area is clear before running the engine.
That’s News To Me
Communication includes finding out what is going on in your area. You will want to know about the scope of the power outage, emergency services, and changing weather conditions. For most of us, that means turning on the radio when the TV is dark.
Battery operated radios are great for as long as the batteries last. Having been through so many power outages, I keep a couple crank radios on hand for emergencies.
One is a cute and cheap Freeplay radio that I got from a sporting goods store in 1999 that still works perfectly. It has a clear body, so you can watch the mechanisms inside turn after you crank it. Hey, when there is no TV, it’s something to watch!
I also invested in a more grown-up Eton emergency radio that can run on batteries, can be plugged into a wall outlet, or can be powered for 30 minutes by cranking for 30 seconds. This one picks up AM, FM and short-wave stations. There is some strange stuff on short-wave late at night, just saying.
My Eton radio also has an LED flashlight and an emergency siren. I don’t want to think about when I might need a siren but there you go. Talk about bells and whistles!
Portable DVD players are handy if you have kids or just need a video fix in a longer outage, as long as the batteries last. Some of these can also be powered with a car charger, if you are willing to “spend” the gas.
Most of our power outages are directly related to severe weather, so I always have a battery-powered weather radio on hand.
I have a small Midland weather radio that I ordered through Amazon for under $15. It automatically tunes to the nearest weather station when you turn it on, regardless of your location. It also has an option to set it to “alert” so it will turn on with a very loud siren-type sound if there is a severe weather warning issued for your area.
I have used this little weather radio for a few years now, and like it enough that I have bought more of them as gifts to family members.
Don’t Curse the Darkness
I keep an assortment of flashlights handy, in the main living areas and bedroom. I have been awakened by the crash of thunder to a completely dark house, and it is nice to be able to reach for my handy flashlight in my nightstand drawer.
There are nifty LED lights with straps that go on your head. Very Minion-esque and helpful for hands-free kid or pet wrangling in the dark!
I don’t have little kids in the house, but I do have pets, so candles are not my first choice for emergency lighting.
On the rare occasions that I have used candles, I use the short white emergency candles. I drip some of the wax into the bottom of a pint mason jar, and stick the bottom of an unlit candle into the melted wax. I use a long camping/grilling lighter to light the candles. With the jar, the flame is protected from drafts and not so open. All the usual fire safety precautions apply.
I have also used oil-burning lamps. Very picturesque, until one of mine started burning out of control, then it was terrifying. Thankfully, my husband got it outside and extinguished before it exploded. It could have been a disaster. I do not use them anymore, and do not recommend them.
My go-to emergency light source are battery operated lanterns. I have Rayovac lanterns that run from 40-90 hours on three D batteries. They are sturdy, safe and dependable.
Want to light safely light a bathroom or dark hallway during a power outage? Night light for the kids? Glow-sticks are safe and fun for kids to handle.
Don’t forget the outdoor solar lights you may have around your garden or patio. There is no reason you can’t bring a few in at night to light your bathroom or child’s room.
And That’s Not All
You and your household will be much more comfortable during a power outage with an organized plan in place for safe lighting, a way to communicate, and a source for news and emergency instructions.
In the next post, you will get tips on heating and cooling your space during an outage, food storage and cooking.
Are there specific areas that you would like to learn more about? Please share your ideas and questions about planning for power outages in the comment section below.
Until then, I send you kind thoughts, from my home to yours!