Is Your Home Ready For a Power Loss

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Posted September 13, 2018

Summer storms have the power to make you second guess your safety indoors. With power going out, the windows and doors rattling, and giant claps of thunder, it’s no wonder that most adults get a little spooked. Trying to get everything in place after your power has gone out can be difficult or impossible. Start preparing your home today so that you are ready for an emergency that involves an electrical outage.

Build your emergency kit.

Every home should have a kit for such emergencies in an easy-to-get-to place. Make sure every family member knows where this kit is and what it contains. Suggestions for packing an emergency preparedness kit:

• First aid items
• Bandages for cuts, scrapes, and burns
• Antibacterial ointment for minor wounds
• Aspirin, Tums, Benadryl for injuries, nervous stomach, and allergic reactions
• Tweezers for splinters and tiny pieces of glass embedded in the skin
• Sewing kit for serious injuries in a long-term emergency situation
• Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect wounds
• High powered battery operated lantern to signal for help or light a room
• Emergency blanket for keeping everyone warm especially in the case of a blizzard
• Candles and matches to keep the area well-lit without using up batteries
• Purified water (a gallon per family member) to keep everyone hydrated
• Candies for bringing blood sugar up
• Non-perishable snacks for long outages: trail mix, dry ramen, cereal
• Walkie-talkies for keeping in touch if you need to spread out
• Batteries of all shapes and sizes to keep flashlights, lanterns, and your radio running
• Several small flashlights so people can split up
• A pocket knife for cutting clothing away from a wound
• A pack of cards to serve as a distraction

Purchase a weather radio.

This may seem a little old-school, but if cell towers go down and you are stuck in the middle of a serious weather emergency this radio will go a long way in keeping you calm and informed. Many models also have flashlights attached which make them the perfect all-weather emergency tool. When the power goes out turn on the radio and search for a live channel. Weather reports and other such vital information will be broadcasted constantly in the event of an emergency. Keep yourself up to date on whether it’s safe to drive, which areas were hit, and when it’s safe to come out of your shelter.

Purchase and learn how to operate a generator.

These two steps must go together. You do not want to be operating the generator for the first time with the power out. Do your research, and buy the right generator for you. Then take it home and practice firing it up a few times. Read the directions thoroughly, especially regarding ventilation, to prevent a medical emergency from taking place in the middle of your electrical emergency.

Learn how to operate your garage door manually.

You will need to be able to get out of your garage in the event that you have a long-term electrical outage and you have confirmed that it is safe to be outside and driving. Take the release lever (typically red and hanging from a thin rope) and pull on it to release your garage door. Practice this a few times before you get into an emergency situation.

You never know when disaster will strike so get these emergency measures in place as soon as possible. Go over all emergency steps, supplies, and materials with every family member. It is important that everyone knows what to do in an emergency because any member might be home alone when a storm hits and knocks out the power for miles around. Get yourself prepared so that you are ready the next time an electrical outage hits your house.

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