7 Tips to Help You Prep for a Power Outage
Summer comes with pleasant sounds, light and smells. But the season also brings storms, which result in power outages. And if they take place, life is disrupted in many ways. Power outages can occur not only in summer but also in other seasons. But how can you prepare for a power outage? In this post, we will provide some useful tips.
Stock some non-perishable food items
In the absence of electricity, food items stored in your refrigerator will get spoiled within a short time. That is why you should take out perishable food items before an outage. But you should not stop there. Make sure that you have a good stock of nonperishable food items.
If you have food items that do not need to be cooled or cooked, you will not have to worry too much about what to eat when the power is out. Here is another important thing to consider: during an outage, running water may not be available. So find some plastic bottles, fill them with water and store them for the hard times.
Use ice to preserve perishable food
When the power is out, using a cooler filled with ice is the best way to preserve perishable food. During an outage, do not make the mistake of keeping perishable food in the refrigerator. It is wise to invest in a cooler, because a cooler can save you money in the long run, preserving your perishable food items.
Charge your phone
Before a storm hits and a power outage begins, you must charge your phone. To be able to communicate with others and check weather information, you will need your mobile phone. Charge your phone as a part of your preparation for a power outage.
You can also consider signing up for weather alerts and warnings before the weather actually gets bad. These alerts will meet your needs for basic safety information.
Fill your gas tank
Before an outage hits you hard, go to a gas station and fill your gas tank. If the outage lasts long, you may not have access to gasoline, because gas stations will fail to pump gas. A power outage can affect your life in many different ways.
In that case, even if a gas station has power, you will have to wait in long lines. If you are serious about getting prepared for an outage, you will make sure that the gasoline tank in your car is at least half full.
Unplug your appliances and devices
In case of a power outage, make sure that all your devices and appliances are unplugged. But why should you unplug the devices? Well, when power comes back, there may be a power surge strong enough to destroy your devices and appliances. Unplugging them is the best way to protect them. But to know when electricity is back, you can leave one bulb on.
What about the garage door?
When the power is out, your garage door opener may not function. As a result, the door may remain locked. That is why you should do something so that the door can be opened manually. If the procedure of manual opening is unknown to you, learn it when there is still light around.
Medical plans
If there is an electricity-operated medical device in your home, and someone relies on the device, talk to the doctor and find out an emergency plan. The doctor may tell you what to do when the power is out. If battery back-ups for the device are available, make sure you buy them. Think ahead and figure out what you need to do in such an emergency.
