What To Do And What Not Do In A Power Outage

It seems Power outages occur at the most inopportune time, which, come to think of it, is any time, honestly. However simple a power outage may seem, there are several things that should be done as well as several things that shouldn't be done during this 'mini crisis' as it can turn into.

Do not panic. Especially if you have children - freaking out is not the best course of action. Losing your electricity even for an hour or two is not the end of the world. After all, people lived easily 200 and more years ago without it, you can survive fine for a few hours or at worst, a few days. If it's during the day there are plenty of things you can do. You can read, you can go outside and do yardwork (obviously depending on weather, if it's winter it would make a great family play day) or even sit and tell stories. If it's at night, depending on what light sources you have available, you can tell ghost stories or even get a chance to catch up on some sleep.

Be certain you have emergency flashlights, candles or lanterns easily accessible at all times - power outage or not. If the lights go out you don't want to risk falling over or into something and hurting yourself. Make sure your children know that these items are for emergency only and to never light the candles. Leave those up to the adults, but make sure the children know where the flashlights are. IF these are needed make sure you have a space for any candles or lanterns that will be a secure position to prevent a fire from breaking out. Also remind any young ones to keep a safe distance away from these items. Power outages may be dangerous if you're unprepared, however, fire is obviously worse.

Do not call the electric company every 10 minutes to check for an update. Chances are, if you're calling every ten minutes someone else is, too and that causes phone congestion. Just be patient, you calling and listening to a message isn't going to make the lights come on any faster. Obviously they understand you want your power restored and they will be working as hard and fast as possible to ensure this happens. Also, if you do speak to someone at the electric company do not give them a hard time. It isn't their fault that the power went out and they can not snap a finger and make it all better. Understand that they have to figure out first what happened to cause an outage. If the helper on the line doesn't know much, do not take it out on them. They're only able to tell what they know.

Have a battery powered radio on hand with fresh batteries. In case there is a storm outside that has caused the power outage, the radio can provide updates on any conditions or actions needed to be taken. Sometimes, if it is a wide spread power outage a radio station can announce it and they may even know the cause of said outage and an estimate of a time for lights to come back on. Do not call them, however. They're just the radio station. A radio also provides limited entertainment for the family in both day and night.

Be sure if you need to get something out of a fridge or freezer you do this only once or twice. Since you do not know how long the power will be out for, you want to keep your food as cold as possible for as long as possible. This includes any medicines that need to remain at a certain temperature. It's always advisable to have a few gallons of water in a pantry as emergency supply water for such an occasion. It may be warm to drink, but, at least it is something to keep you hydrated. Especially if this happens in hot weather. Along with this, be sure you have a can opener and canned goods that can be eaten cold so that nobody gets ill from not eating.

A cell phone can be a lifesaver if you have an electrical powered phone. Keeping this fully charged at all times makes it a useful tool in such a situation. If you have an emergency you can call 911 for free and get medical assistance fast. Also, if you have to use it to check on a family member, it also allows you to do that. Or be reached by anyone concerned about you and any other people living at your home.

Unplugging large appliances if needed can prevent problems in case of a sudden power surge when the electricity does come back on. One thing you don't want to have to deal with is the power popping on and your computer or television popping into a cloud of smoke. As soon as the power comes back up and stays up, be sure to plug the appliances back in - especially if you've unplugged a freezer.

If it is colder weather, be certain you have a kerosene space heater or fireplace to use as heat. This can mean the difference between life and death. Sure a heater gives out only limited heat, but in cold weather it is better than nothing at all. Supplement this with warm blankets and heavy clothing and you (along with all others) will be just fine for quite a while. If you do have a kerosene space heater make sure to keep little ones and animals away from it - and be certain to have an ample supply of emergency kerosene.

While there are other things that should be done and shouldn't be done in a power outage depending on each individual situation, the above mentioned are useful for almost anyone. Remember above all else to be safe and rest assured that power will come back on. It isn't the end of the world.