Power outages can happen to you regardless of where you live. And over the last several years they’ve been happening more often. Ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, heat waves, utility company problems, car accidents, and even small animals can cause a power failure. A few hours of no electricity can be fun but a few weeks without it is definitely a drag. That’s why you’ll want to plan ahead and be ready for when the lights go out.
A power outage is less of a hassle if you have a supply of powerless backups for your everyday needs—such as lighting, cooking, heating, and cooling. Some of the supplies you’ll need for power outages—flashlights, an emergency radio, lighters and matches—will already be in your emergency kit. You can choose to use them or you can buy duplicates and make another kit. In my house, we keep power outage supplies in a bedroom closet separate from our family emergency kit. I’m not organized enough to keep track of who takes what out of the Go Bags. Keeping them separate is my guarantee we’ll always have all the items we need if we are forced to evacuate.
There are things you can do today while you still have electricity to help you be ready for a power outage.
Learn how to use the manual release for your automatic garage door so your car never gets trapped inside. Drive to a gas station and fill up your tank. Remember, half full is the new empty.
If you’re not using surge protectors for your computer and electronics, head to the store and get some. Surge protectors are the best way to protect sensitive equipment from power spikes. Also, cordless phones won’t work in a blackout so if you don’t have a cell phone, be sure to buy a corded phone to use as a backup.
Bank ATMs rely on electricity so accessing your bank account may be difficult. Stop at the bank and withdraw some cash to keep in a safe place.
Once you’re back home, make a list of everything you use electricity for in the house—such as lighting, cooking, heating and cooling. Then come up with a plan for how you will adapt without it.
No need to fumble around in the dark when there are these emergency lighting options to choose from.
Take advantage of the sun. During the day, open all the curtains and blinds to let in the light. Plan your schedule so most of your work or chores are done during daylight hours.
A flashlight is the first thing most of us think to reach for when the power goes out. Flashlights are available in a variety of sizes and with the invention of the LED (light emitting diode) bulb, today’s flashlights are brighter than the flashlights of yesterday. Store a flashlight in several locations around the house and preferably one in each bedroom. If you’re in an upstairs bedroom when the lights go out, it will be difficult to make your way to the downstairs laundry room in the pitch dark to retrieve them. Flashlights are great for navigating through the dark however you’ll find it’s difficult to do stuff that requires two hands. That’s why I chose to purchase a headlamp—a flashlight worn on your head—for each member of my family. And remember, flashlights are only good if they have batteries to power them so be sure to stock an extra supply.
Candles are an inexpensive light source but they can also be a fire hazard if you don’t use common sense. Don’t leave them unattended, don’t put them near anything that could catch fire, and keep them away from kids and pets. Tea lights or votive candles in a jar are a safer option than open flame candles.
There’s no shortage of battery powered light choices on the market today. LED lanterns by camping gear outfitters, as well as lanterns by battery manufacturers are rugged, safe and bright. You can also use inexpensive tap lights, typically used to illuminate stairwells and closets. Place them in some strategic places for a little extra illumination.
Solar powered lanterns have built in solar panels that charge an internal battery which powers the light. During the day, leave the lantern outside to recharge and at night bring it inside for light. Many solar lanterns can be fully charged via a USB adapter in advance of a power outage.
BE READY QUICK TIP!Do you always enter your house through the garage door? Automatic garage doors won’t work in a power outage. Don’t get locked out! Carry a house key with you at all times.
You can also buy several inexpensive pathway solar lights from your local home improvement store for everyday use in the yard. When a power failure occurs, bring several lights inside to illuminate a room.
Popular at Halloween, glowsticks are plastic tubes containing two chemicals. When the tube is bent or “cracked” the chemicals mix together and emit a luminescent glow that lasts for hours. Think of glowsticks as supplemental lighting and not your primary source of illumination as they are the least bright of all the options.
If peanut butter and crackers for breakfast, lunch and dinner don’t excite you, consider purchasing one of these powerless cooking options.
If you have a gas stove in your kitchen, the cooktop will still work unless the gas lines were damaged. Electricity powers the ignition switch so you’ll need a match or lighter to light it manually. Unfortunately, you’re limited to cooktop meals during a blackout. Gas ovens have safety features that don’t allow you to manually bypass the lighting controls.
Chances are you’re already familiar with how to use a grill. At my house, we cook dinner on a gas grill more than once a week, so it would be our first choice for powerless cooking. If a gas or charcoal grill is your go-to, blackout-cooking backup, be sure you keep an extra propane cylinder or charcoal handy.
If you have a fire pit in your backyard, cooking over an open fire is an option. You’ll need wood for fuel, a stick for roasting food, and a metal grate to hold pots and pans. I recommend you experiment with this option before a power down emergency and learn to how to maintain heat control so you don’t end up with a burnt dinner.
Visit any outdoor retailer and you’ll see there is no shortage of camping stoves options. Choose from single burner stoves made to fit in a hiker’s backpack to larger two burner models that resemble your kitchen cooktop. Be sure to stock up on the specific fuel your camp stove requires. In a long-term power outage, you’ll go through it quickly.
Rocket stoves are portable, combustion chambers designed to burn biomass, like pine cones, twigs and sticks. Producing less smoke and using less fuel than an open fire, rocket stoves are a cleaner and more efficient powerless cooking option. Fuel goes in the bottom and food goes on top. As the biomass burns, it sends heat straight up the chamber and cooks your meal. You can build your own rocket stove with the help of one of many online plans and tutorials or purchase a ready-made stove from companies like EcoZoom and StoveTec.
As long as you have sun, you can cook in a solar oven. These appliances convert sunlight into heat to roast, bake, steam or boil your food. The original, box-like All American Sun Oven is the closest to your kitchen oven. With temperatures reaching up to 400°F, it bakes bread, roasts chicken, and heats up casseroles in dark-coated pans. The new, extremely portable GoSun acts more like a grill. Place meat or veggies on the tray then insert in the glass tube chamber. In full sun, your goodies will be sizzled to perfection in less than forty minutes.
There are a few steps you can take before a power outage to give your perishable food the best chance of surviving the big thaw.
The proper temperature for a refrigerator is at or below 40° F and your freezer should be 0° or colder. Get an appliance thermometer for both the refrigerator and freezer so you can keep tabs on any temperature fluctuations. If you think there’s a chance of losing power, set your refrigerator and freezer to their lowest settings to build up a cooling reserve.
Shrinking the size of your refrigerator and freezer will also help perishables stay cold longer. Long before an anticipated storm, fill empty soda bottles with water. Be sure to leave an inch or more at the top as water expands as it freezes. Then place the bottles in the empty spaces in your refrigerator and freezer. Once cooled or frozen, the bottles will act as an insulator, helping to keep your perishables cold longer should the power go out.
When a blackout occurs, make note of the time so you’ll have an idea of how long you can go before the food is unsafe to eat. The time will vary depending on whether the food was kept in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Food in the refrigerator should be safe as long as the door has been kept shut and the power is out less than four hours. If the power is out longer, or if the fridge door has been opened repeatedly, the food inside will need to be thrown away. Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products, lunchmeats, and last night’s dinner leftovers need to be tossed if they have been stored above 40 degrees for 2 hours. Bacteria multiplies quickly at warm temperatures and eating the contaminated food will make you sick. Unfortunately, you can’t tell if it’s safe by the way it looks or smells and please never taste it to check its safety.
If it looks like you won’t have electricity for more than four hours, start eating from your fridge before you pull from your pantry. As you get closer to the four-hour mark, you can move perishables from your refrigerator and pack them in coolers filled with ice to try to extend the shelf life. Then as you are about to cook or eat the items from the cooler, take their temperature with a food thermometer. If the temperature is 40° F or higher, don’t risk your health. Just throw it away.
Food in the freezer will last up to 48 hours if the freezer is full and the door is kept closed. A half full freezer keeps food frozen for half that time—twenty-four hours. If the power comes back on during those time frames, the thawing food will still be safe to eat. As long as the freezer temperature never went above 40°F, or the food still contains ice crystals, it can be refrozen but the quality may not be to your liking.
If you anticipate the blackout will continue for more than two days, dry ice may be the solution for your freezer. If you decide to go this route, find a vendor now and when an blackout occurs, get there quickly. The vendor will be able to help you determine how much dry ice you need. If you purchase dry ice, use caution. With temperatures of -109° F, it’s not something to fool with. Always follow the vendor’s safety recommendations.
After you lose electricity, your home will stay warm for a few hours as long as you limit the number of times you open exterior doors. Each time a door opens heat escapes and cold icy air comes in. Beyond that, there are a few strategies for staying warm, however if it looks like it will be a while before power’s restored, make arrangements stay with a friend or consider going to a shelter or “warming center” before things get really bad.
First of all, forget trying to heat the whole house. A better strategy is to pick one room—preferably the smallest and definitely the one without the high ceiling. If you live in a two-story house, check to see if the upstairs is noticeably warmer. Rooms on the South side of the house will be warmer too because sun shining through the window heats the room as long as the blinds are open.
Once you’ve picked a room, make it your family hangout spot. Gather your family members and pets together. Grab couch cushions, blankets, and snacks. Shut the door and seal the room off with draft stoppers made from rolled towels. Place them on the windowsills and at the base of the closed door. When the sun goes down prevent heat from escaping the room by closing the blinds and covering the window with towels or blankets for insulation.
And now’s not the time to be shy! Get as close as you can. Create a fort out of a blanket, have everyone pile in and let body heat do its thing. Surround yourselves with couch cushions and extra blankets. Think: bird’s nest.
Do you have a fireplace? If you’ve kept up on the chimney cleaning and inspection, use it. If you’ve skimped on the maintenance, don’t risk it. Soot and debris can easily catch fire and burn your house down. While fireplaces aren’t great for keeping warm—most of the heat goes up the chimney—something is better than nothing. And if you don’t have wood to burn, make logs out of tightly rolled newspaper and magazines.
Fireplaces outfitted with decorative gas logs may still be usuable in a blackout as long as gas lines weren’t damaged. Depending on the model, your gas logs may have a standing pilot that doesn’t require electricity, or it may have a battery backup system that can be used to light the pilot. You might even be able to light the pilot manually with a long stem lighter. Consult your owner’s manual to learn more about your model.
If you decide to use your fireplace, always be sure the flue is open and the room is well ventilated. And remember, barbeques are for outside. Never bring a grill—charcoal, gas or otherwise—in the house.
Fuel burning space heaters are dangerous and in many places illegal if not vented properly to the outside. Carbon monoxide poisoning, burns and house fires are the biggest risks with space heaters. More than 25,000 house fires and 300 deaths result from space heater use every year according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. An additional 6,000 people end up in the emergency room for burn injuries after accidentally touching the hot surface of space heaters. If you decide to use a space heater, be sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working and follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and recommended safety precautions to the letter.
The best way to dress for the cold indoors is wear loose-fitting clothes and take the layered approach—a base, insulation and outer layer. The base layer is a thin, second skin-like layer that regulates your body temperature by controlling moisture. Think: thermal underwear, tights and t-shirts. Wool, silk, and synthetic fabric like polyester work best. Avoid cotton. Instead of wicking away moisture, cotton absorbs it, leaving you feeling cold and clammy.
The second layer, insulation keeps the warm air close to your body. Insulation layers are the layers you add or remove depending on how hot or cold you feel. Wool sweaters and fleece pullovers are common choices. The final layer called the outer layer acts as protection and keeps the elements away from your body. A thick winter jacket will fit the bill and then add your warm winter hat, scarf, gloves or mittens.
During winter power outages, hand and foot warmers are your best friends. My favorites, made by HotHands, provide up to ten hours of heat for your fingers and toes. Unfortunately, these air-activated heat packs can only be used once, so be sure to stock up.
Kids think power outages are exciting for about 20 minutes then boredom sets in. Here are several things to do when you hear the dreaded phrase, “I’m bored.”
Power outages happen for a number of reasons, one of which is the extra demand air conditioners put on the power grid during a heat wave. Without air conditioners and electric fans, your home will heat up quickly. Here are some strategies for staying cool during a summer power outage.
Your first instinct will be throw open the windows to get some air but this can actually make the situation worse. Once the air temperature outside is higher than inside, opening windows will actually make you hotter. Keep the windows closed while the sun is out. When it goes down, open the windows and doors and let the cooler air inside.
Just like you don’t want to attempt to heat your whole house during a winter power outage, you don’t want to try to cool it during a summer power failure. Do the opposite of everything you just learned about staying warm. Look for a North facing room in your house to serve as a cool retreat for your entire family as it usually has the least amount of sunlight coming through the windows. If you don’t have a North facing room, rooms with windows that are blocked by trees, awnings or a neighbor’s house are the second best choice. Also, the lowest level of your home will be cooler than the upper floors. Once you’ve located the best space, close the blinds and hang towels or sheets over the windows to keep the heat out. Make a solar reflector out of cardboard cut to the windows’ size. Use aluminum foil to line one side of the cardboard. Keep the reflector, foil side out, in the windows to reflect the heat during the day.
Stone, tile and hardwood floors are cooler than carpet, hence the reason why your dog sleeps on the bathroom floor during the summer months. If you’re still struggling to find relief from the heat, follow Fido’s lead and lay down on the bare floor.
Drink plenty of water to stay cool. Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages. They may raise your body temperature. Wet a bandana or t-shirt and wear it around your neck during the day. At night before bed, spritz water on your sheets with a spray bottle.
If you’ve ever been to Disney World in July, you would have seen crowds of people seeking heat relief in front of giant, water-misting fans. I know from experience that the misting fans work because my family hunted for Disney’s fans more than we hunted for their princesses. The next time you make a trip to your local big box store, pick up a smaller, hand-held version of the Disney fan for everyone in the family. These little fans are battery powered so be sure you grab plenty of extra batteries.
Obviously, wearing your birthday suit during a heat wave works best but your family will probably think a bathing suit is a better idea. Not fond of bathing suits? Then wear a light, loose fitting outfit instead. Preferably one made of natural fabrics like cotton, linen or silk.
City water users, as long as your utility company’s backup generators function, there will be water flowing from your tap, although it may not be safe to drink. And if your hot water heater is electric, expect the water to be cold. Any water you use for personal hygiene will have to be heated first using one of the powerless cooking options.
If you have a well, chances are your pump is electric so you won’t have water. Using the bathroom becomes a problem. A toilet doesn’t require electricity but the pump that refills it does. Manually pour water into your toilet to flush it. Your toilet may require a few gallons of water per flush so as gross as it sounds, don’t flush after every use. If possible, don’t use your drinking water supply for flushing. Use water from your swimming pool, a natural water source or recycled water—water collected before it goes down the drain—to get the job done.
If someone in your house is dependent on refrigerated medication or electrical life-support devices, a power outage quickly changes from a minor annoyance to a life-threatening emergency. How do you keep medicine cool and equipment running?
If the power is out for a few hours only, medicine will be fine in the refrigerator as long as the door remains shut and the fridge temperature stays at 40°F. If the blackout continues longer than three or four hours, it’s possible the medicine will still usable. For example, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unaltered, undiluted insulin products in manufacturer’s vials or cartridges maintain their effectiveness for up to 28 days as long as they are kept at a temperature between 59 and 86°F.
Never use ice to keep your medication cool. Insulin and other medications will lose their effectiveness if they freeze. Consider a FRIO Cooling Case (FRIOCase.com) instead. The liner in this reusable, wallet-like case is made of crystals, which expand into a cooling gel when it’s soaked in water for five to ten minutes. Once activated, the FRIO case will keep medicine at or below room temperature in 100° weather conditions for up to two days before you need to re-soak it.
Be clear about the safety precautions your prescribed medication requires. Always consult with your pharmacist or physician.
For power dependent medical equipment, you need to plan for an emergency backup ahead of time. Should you stock an extra battery or invest in a generator? Develop a power outage plan with the help of your doctor. Then, contact your power company and let them know you rely on life-saving medical equipment. Many utility companies offer programs for customers with special needs and are able to alert you prior to scheduled power outages. And some, but not all, will put you on a priority list for restoring electric service in the event of an emergency.
Portable generators are popular among homeowners looking for emergency power. Simply set up the generator in your yard and run extension cords to your appliances. As long as you have a supply of gasoline to keep it fueled, you’ll have backup electricity for your lights, refrigerator and medical equipment. Portable generators are valuable tools but there are a few things you need to know before you purchase one.
Generators come in various sizes, or generator output which is measured in watts. Before you go shopping you should decide how many watts you need. Don’t skip this important step because trying to draw more watts than a generator can produce will damage both the generator and the connected appliances.
Once you’ve decided on which appliances you absolutely can’t live without in an emergency, write down the running wattage and starting wattage for each. Find this information in the owner’s manuals or get estimates from an online generator wattage calculator, like the one found at briggsandstratton.com.
Add up all appliances’ running wattage to get the total running watts. Then find the appliance with the highest starting wattage number. Add that number to the total running watts and you get the total starting watts. Choose a generator that produces no less than the total running watts number and total starting watts number.
Improper use of a generator can be deadly. Never use a generator without reading the owner’s manual first and always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for safety.
After Hurricane Sandy, at least nine people died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper generator use. Never use a generator inside your house—and not in basements, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, porches, carports or any partially enclosed areas either. According to the US Fire Administration, one generator produces the same amount of carbon monoxide as hundreds of cars so don’t think opening windows, doors or using fans will protect you from it’s deadly effects. Set up your generator outside far away from doors and windows. A good rule of thumb is place it at least 15 feet away from your house as well as your neighbor’s. And if you haven’t done so already, install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Portable generators are not intended to be connected directly to your home’s wiring. Attempting to power your whole house through this dangerous process, known as back-feeding is extremely dangerous and often illegal. Power is not only sent back to your main breaker, it continues on to the transformer and energizes utility lines which can injure or kill workers who are attempting to restore the electricity to your neighborhood, even if they are working on lines that are miles away.
Using a generator during wet conditions poses a serious electrocution risk. Set it up on a dry surface and always be sure your hands are dry before touching it. If you must run the generator during rain or snow, use a tarp to create a canopy over it. When it’s time to refuel, turn the generator off and let it cool for at least two minutes. If gasoline comes in contact with the hot engine or exhaust, it could ignite.
Gas, propane and charcoal may be hard to come by if a power outage lasts longer than a day or two. If you’re thinking about keeping a fuel supply at home, learn how to store it safely.
Before you head to the pump, determine how much gas you’ll need. The manufacturer’s online specs for your generator should tell you the fuel tank capacity and the run time per tank. Then, check your local laws. Many communities prohibit homeowners from storing more than 25 gallons on their property and require gasoline to be stored in containers no larger than 5 gallons each.
The best containers for gasoline are approved red Underwriters Laboratory (UL) safety cans. The wording on the side will tell you if it meets safety requirements. Fill the containers 95% full to give gas room to expand if it warms up in storage. Cap the container tightly to prevent the gas from evaporating.
Never store gasoline in your house or attached garage. The ideal storage location is a well-ventilated area, away from your house. If you don’t have a shed, make a storage locker or purchase a flammable liquid storage locker from a safety equipment supplier. Choose a location out of direct sunlight, away from children, electrical equipment, tools that might produce sparks and open flames. Don’t store containers directly on concrete as it may degrade the plastic container. Just like you do for water storage, put down a layer of plywood or cardboard first.
Gasoline has a short shelf life. Properly stored in a clean container in the ideal location, it will only last a few months. For a longer shelf life, add a fuel stabilizer. Products, like Sta-Bil will keep gas fresh for up to 12 months. During that time, keep it in rotation. Use it for your lawn mower and put some in your car.
Gas grills belong outside and so do the propane tanks that fuel them. Never store spare tanks in your house, basement, garage or shed. Find an outdoor location, out of direct sunlight and away from your grill (no, you shouldn’t store them underneath) and outdoor fire pits.
Store propane tanks upright in a place where they won’t accidentally tip and roll around. And teach your kids not to play near them. Full or empty, be sure the cylinder valve on spare tanks remain closed, and capped or plugged.
Propane has an indefinite shelf life, however the tank itself has an expiration date of 12 years from manufacture date. You can find the expiration date stamped on the collar of the canister. By law, after 12 years the tank must go through a re-certification by a qualified propane retailer before it can be refilled. If you get your tanks from a grocery store tank exchange, always check the date before you drive off.
Charcoal absorbs moisture from the air so the best place to store it is in a cool, dry place. After a few months of sitting in an open bag in your garage it may be difficult to light. For an indefinite shelf life, put charcoal in an airtight, plastic or metal container. If you’ve purchased charcoal with lighter fluid already on the briquet, expect a shelf life of one to two years when stored properly in a container.
You’ve planned for it and now it’s happening. Here are the steps you need to take as soon as the lights go out:
In addition to your family emergency kit, keep these power outage essentials in your home: