Power outages often take you by surprise, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare yourself ahead of time! In a time when the frequency of power outages is steadily increasing in the United States, you definitely don’t want to just brush off this possibility and simply hope for the best. This is especially true in summer months due to severe weather and increased use of electricity to power things like air conditioners. So in order to get through a power outage safely and relatively painlessly, you need to prepare for the possibility in advance so that you aren’t stuck playing catch up.
The first thing that you need to do to prepare for a power outage is to create an emergency plan for your family. This emergency plan won’t just come in handy for power outages, but can also help you through severe weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, etc. Every family is unique and each emergency situation is unique, so you will need to create a plan that is specific to your family’s needs and disasters that are most likely to impact your geographic area. But how do you create an emergency plan?
Once you have an emergency plan, you need to assemble an emergency kit. The exact items in your emergency kit can vary depending on your needs, the length of the power outage, the weather, and other factors. At the same time, there are a few staple items that every emergency kit should include:
This might seem like a lot. However, taking the time to assemble this emergency kit now can quite literally save you later on in the event of a power outage or other emergency. Keep your kit in a designated location that is easy to access. Make sure that each family member knows where it is located.
Just because you have created your emergency plan and assembled your kit doesn’t mean that you can just leave them and forget about them! In fact, both of these items require frequent practice, maintenance, and updating. For example, you may need to replace expired food items within your non-perishable food supply. You also may need to periodically charge your backup power sources. If one of your family members requires a new medication, you need to account for this in your plan and kit. If you get a new pet, you will need to adjust your plans to accommodate them as well. Overall, it’s a good idea to revisit your emergency kit and practice your plan at least twice a year. That way, each family member will be prepared for a power outage or other emergency at any given time.
Dealing with a power outage can range from a minor inconvenience to a major problem depending on the cause and duration. In the event that a power outage is caused by severe weather like a hurricane, tornado, or snowstorm, you need to make sure that your family is adequately prepared ahead of time with a well thought out emergency plan and a well-stocked emergency kit.
Sources:
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/make-disaster-plan-your-pets