Share These Blackout Survival Tips with Others
When the power goes out, whether it’s due to stormy weather or a damaged power line, our homes and offices can be completely shut down unexpectedly. Besides being inconvenient, blackouts can threaten our safety, our comfort, and our pocketbooks. Here are some good blackout survival tips to remember when it happens.
- Power surges – When the power returns, it will not come back smoothly, and the surges could damage your expensive electronics. Switch off or unplug all appliances except for one light and one radio so that you will see and hear when the power is back on.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) – Don’t run generators, gas grilles, or burn anything inside the house (or near open windows) as they will give off CO, a colorless odorless poison gas. Keep those activities some distance from the house for safety.
- Fill the bathtub – The tub can hold 30-50 gallons of water which can sustain your family for several days if pumps or water lines don’t work. Be sure to fill it as soon as the power goes out and before it’s too late. The water heater also holds many gallons of drinkable water that you can drain out and use.
- Release the garage door – Electric openers won’t work, but pulling the red handle will disconnect the motor and you’ll be able to open and close doors manually. They may be heavy – be sure to lift with your legs, not your back.
- Use the car battery as a charger – You can easily recharge phones and other small devices by plugging them into vehicle circuits. There is no need to run the engine during the recharge period, just idle it for a few minutes after all charging is completed to recharge the car battery.
- Use solar lights inside – Those small rechargeable solar lights around your yard will work just as well in the house. No need to waste your flashlight power until all the solar is gone. If the blackout lasts more than one night, you can put them out and recharge them in the daytime.
There are many other blackout survival tips available from other sources, but these 6 are a good start. You might think about reviewing them with your family whenever a storm approaches to make sure everyone is prepared.