We live in a time and age where most of us take our electricity for granted. We have built our lives around having access to power. We keep food in a refrigerator, rely on Internet access to work from home and spend the majority of our time on electronic devices. This means that when your neighborhood or community experiences a power outage, it can cause mass disruptions and chaos.
Make sure your family is not among it by learning how to prep for a power outage
Before a Power Outage
The first and most important thing to keep in mind when learning how to prep for a power outage is that the more you do before a power outage occurs, the better off you will be. Whether you know a natural disaster is on the way, there is a scheduled black out occuring or something entirely unexpected– here's what you should do before.
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Have an emergency kit ready to go filled with flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit and cash.
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Have an evacuation plan ready, should the power be out for too long and you need to leave, you already have bags packed and a backup location to go to.
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Make sure that your car has a full tank of gas. Most gas pumps are electronic and won’t work during a blackout. Plus, gas stations are easily overwhelmed in emergency situations. Having gas in your car guarantees that you have a place to recharge electronic devices and use an A/C if it's too hot out.
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Stock up on ice so that you can keep freezer and refrigerator items cold and not go bad.
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Have extra water on hand in case a water treatment plant is affected and you are unable to get fresh water from the tap.
During a Power Outage
If you know how to prep for a power outage, then you will be less likely to panic while one is occurring. It’s important to keep these things in mind when going through a power outage.
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Stick to using the flashlight you have in your emergency kit and staying away from kerosene and candles.
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Try to eliminate unnecessary travel because more than likely traffic lights will be out and traffic will be very congested.
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Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as long as possible to preserve your food. A full freezer will keep food frozen for around 48 hours, a fridge will keep things cold for around four hours. If you need to keep something cooler for longer, like medication, have a cooler and ice on hand.
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Turn off and unplug all unnecessary appliances, but leave one light on so you’ll be alerted to when the power comes back on.
After a Power Outage
Once you have accurately learned how to prep for a power outage, you can learn how to proceed after a power outage has already happened.
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Stay away from all power lines that may have fallen, as they could be live and still spark and electrocute you. Always report down power lines to your local utility companies.
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Throw out all food that could have spoiled during the power outage. Don’t rely on smell and look alone to determine if food has gone bad, especially meat. Meat that has been exposed to a temperature above 40 degrees for more than two hours should be thrown out immediately.
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Contact any family or friends and inform them that the power outage is over and your power is back.
Civil Dispatch
Now that you know how to prep for a power outage, be prepared for other emergency scenarios with Civil Dispatch! Get instant alerts sent to any smart device in a time of crisis by signing up today.