How to Prepare for a Power Outage

Whether a power outage in your home is caused by a grid failure or severe weather, you can take the following steps to prepare and respond.  Due to the extreme risk of fire, avoid the use of candles during a power outage.  This should be your last resort in a power outage.

Stay informed - Have a battery powered radio/TV receiver and listen to local news in case there has been a call to evacuate from your area. 

Cellphone - Is your home phone plugged into an electrical outlet?  Cordless phones need electrical power to work.  Have a way to communicate with others if your home phone doesn't work.  You may also have to contact the police, fire department or emergency medical services.  So you may want to have an alternative just in case.

Fire safety - Ask your local area fire-department to show you how to use a fire extinguisher.  Learn about the different types of extingushers for the different types of fires that can occur. 

Gas - Keep your car half full at all times, because gas pumps will not work without electricity. 

Use surge protectors to protect computers and electrical devices.  Turn off all appliences.  Leave one light on to alert you when power has been restored.  Avoid opening your freezer and refrigerator doors.  Food can remain cold up to four hours. 

If you have space in your refrigerator or freezer, consider filling plastic containers with water, leaving about an inch of space inside each one. (water expands as it freezes, so it's important to leave room in the container for the expanded water).  Place the containers in the refrigerator and freezer. 

This chilled or frozen water will help keep food cold if the power goes out, by displacing air that can warm up quickly with water or ice that keeps cold for several hours without additional refrigeration.  As it taughs you will need water to drink if area pumping stations are also down.

Family - Check on elderly / disabled family members and neighbors.  Call frequently, let the phone ring several times and give them time to get to the phone and to answer. 

POWER GENERATORS - To be used outdoors only!  Never operate a generator near a window, garage or basement because of the dangerous fumes.  You can use solar (sun) powered converters and inverters indoors. 

Each adult in the house should know how to turn off utilities such as water, electricity and gas.  Each person should also know where the tools to do this are kept.

Before a blackout happens assemble some essential supplies which includes:

• Flashlights - Have several on hand.  The magnetic flashlights are best, they never need batteries.
• Heavy Duty Batteries - Check them often to make sure they are still good.
• Portable Radio - with a TV channel receiver.
• Water, Water, Water - Each person need their own supply.  In the winter months you can collect snow.
• Food supply - Each person needs their own supply.  Enough for a minimum of 3 days.

Emergency Lighting

You can now buy a flashlight that will never need batteries.   You just shake it to recharge it!

                                                          


FOOD

When the power goes out in your home, minimize opening the refrigerator and freezer.  Refrigerators and freezers are insulated, this aids in keeping foods cold.  However, if the refrigerator or freezer door is opened often, the cooling will be lost.

Perishable refrigerated foods (i.e. foods of animal origin) should be discarded after about 6-hour.  Using block ice may increase shelf-life of refrigerated foods.  Food stored in fully loaded freezers may last for approximately two days, however food stored in partially loaded freezers may last for only one day.  Freezer foods may be refrozen if ice crystals are present on the food.  Exceptions include ice cream, pizza, and casseroles.

If the frozen food has completely thawed but is cold, it must be cooked within a 24-hour period; or foods may be refrozen within 24 hours after thawing.  However, quality may be diminished.  If in doubt about when the food actually thawed in the freezer, discard the thawed food.  Dry ice may be used to keep frozen foods frozen and cold foods cold.  Be careful not to handle dry ice with bare hands or breathe the vapors.