The global reaction to COVID 19 in early 2020 and well into 2021 showed us the value of being prepared. With various lockdowns shuttering many stores and businesses, it was incumbent upon each of us to plan ahead, go shopping less often, spend more time isolated but also to have enough supplies on hand to live.
Ensuring you are ready for a power outage involves having supplies on hand ahead of time but also taking care of things within the home after the power failure to protect yourself while the outage is in effect.
How to prepare for a power outage
Preparing for a power outage is kind of like owning insurance or a battery charger for your car. You pay for it hoping that you won’t actually need to use it. You understand that it’s a cost of doing business and living safely and being prepared.
After living through COVID 19 in 2020-21 and the multiple lockdowns that involved limited outside interactions and store closings, many of us already got used to planning ahead and stocking up on things.
While you don’t have to go overboard, having some supplies on hand isn’t a bad idea if and when you do suffer a power outage particularly in winter and during storm season.
Plan your food supplies
Always having some packaged food such as pasta, rice and bottled water on hand. Have food on hand that on the one hand has a shelf life but on the other hand can be prepared without use of electricity ie. canned fruits and vegetables, canned beans, canned meat and fish (tuna, salmon).
Also having fresh food on hand that you can consume until it’s finished like bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, etc is a good idea.
If you have a propane tank-powered barbeque you at least have some options for heating food as long as you have propane in store. A gas line -supplied BBQ means you have a constant supply of natural gas for cooking.
Have an emergency kit
Having some batteries and a torch or flashlight on hand is also a good idea although most of have cellphones with lamps that can double as a flashlight if in a pinch. Having a battery bank on hand that is always charged enables you to charge your cellphone or tablet while the power is down.
While candles can produce both light a some heat (you’d be surprised) they do also pose a fire hazard so care needs to be taken.
Also have some first aid supplies on hand such as band aids, aspirin, medications and things of that nature, too.
Consider your heating
In our house we have a gas furnace and a gas fireplace that will operate even if the power is out. If it’s summer and the AC won’t work, we can always open the windows and let some air in, close the drapes to keep the sun out and stay outside if the house gets too hot. But in winter when it’s cold, a gas fireplace will at least mean you will have one room in the house heated that you could sleep in if needed.
Think ahead about how you will deal with a cold house should you experience a power failure or should your gas furnace break down.
Consider your appliances
During an extended power outage, it’s best to keep the fridge and freezer doors shut as long as possible. It’s generally stated that a fridge will keep food cold for around 4 hours and a freezer for up to 48 hours if it’s full. Once the time frames have expired be very careful about consuming food that is no longer cold or frozen especially if it’s meat or dairy.
Unplug major appliances, computers, modems etc as a sudden power surge when the power comes back on can fry your appliances. I found this out during a brief power failure last year albeit it was just my power cord for my Macbook that got fried. Although my replacement Mac charger (not a brand name one for the record) stated very clearly that it had surge protection, when the power came back on and it was still plugged in, I heard a clicking sound and sure enough, my charger was toast. My laptop on the other hand was fine thankfully.
Check ahead of time to see what appliances could experience a surge and inquire about your surge protection that may already be in place – or lacking – withing your home.
Get a backup plan for power
A gas generator can be used outside the house to provide power inside the home. A more expensive option is to install (ahead of time of course) a solar-based power supply that will use the sun’s rays to provide some level of power to keep things running while your home has no electricity.
A back up power plan is especially important if you have medical devices that are electrically powered. If you’re going to buy a gas or diesel generator, it must be used outdoors and needs to be powerful enough to match your needs. Discuss this with a professional who sells generators who can help you get what you need.
Have some company
If there is one thing we have all hopefully learned from the COVID 19 experience it is this: Being locked down sucks but being locked down alone is even worse. If you’re in an area that is suffering from a widespread power outage for an extended period, it’s not a bad idea to share the experience with others if possible either in person or even just being in touch to keep an eye on one another for safety reasons.
If you end up partnering with a neighbor or family member, you can also pool resources and also keep one another company which should help to keep spirits up and make passing the time more bearable.
Other things to consider
- Always keep at least one car with a full tank of fuel so it’s always ready. During storms and power failures gas stations often close or quickly run out.
- If you have an electric garage door opener, ensure you know ahead of time how to manually unlock it with the pull handle release so you can get your car out of the garage while the power is down.
- Have your furnace inspected yearly so it’s ready to go during the winter when storms and power failures tend to occur.
- If your home is heated with electricity and the house temperature is dropping towards freezing levels after the power goes out, slightly open the faucets to let water drip slowly to avoid pipes freezing and bursting if temperatures go below zero.
- Ensure you have batteries on hand for your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors especially if they are normally electrically powered and use a battery back up.
Summary
Are you ready for a power outage? Part of the way you Make Your Home Safer is planning ahead for emergencies and being prepared for events such as power failures, pandemics and bad weather in general.
Monitor ongoing power outages by checking out the Poweroutage.us
website. It monitors power outages by state and lets you know how many customers are currently experiencing power outages at any given time.
Click here for Canadian power outages by province and by hydro provider.
If you’re looking for another perspective on the subject of power failures, read our article called How to Stay Safe During a Power Outage.