How to survive a power outage in a natural disaster
If the power in your home goes out, you’ll want to make sure you have a way to light your home, get into contact with someone if you need help, and keep yourself and your family either properly cooled. There is also the need to keep your food cool or even cook your food, but we will do a whole post on that tomorrow.
If the power goes out in your home due to a natural disaster like a hurricane, snow storm or downed power line, then you will want to stock up on batteries or even invest in a generator before the storm hits. It’s never a bad idea to have extra power on hand.
Lighting
The most obvious and basic thing you will need is a hand held flashlight. I really like this flashlight: https://supersurplusstore.com/product/dorcy-mg-series-619-lumen-led-flashlight/ because it can be used in emergencies and in everyday tasks. It is also water resistant and utilizes LED bulbs with over 600 lumens to offer superior brightness. If you only have a limited number of batteries and don’t want to be running multiple units at one time, you will want to invest in an LED flashlight with enough lumens to illuminate an entire room.
There are also other light sources you could use in your home such as a small, portable lantern or larger, wireless LED lights. It’s a matter of personal preference, but I like to invest in supplies that I can use in my everyday life, as well.
Radios and Other Ways to Communicate
Aside from lighting, you will want to invest in a way to get news. You will really want to think about how you will be getting information about the situation in your area and how you can contact someone for help in the event of a personal emergency. If the power is out, your phone will only last so long. So, your safest bet would be to invest in a battery powered radio, (this one here is specific to weather emergencies: https://supersurplusstore.com/product/eton-frx-1-emergency-radio/.
You will want to conserve your phone battery for as long as possible. If your power is out, you will most likely not have access to the Internet, and you may not have a sufficient data plan. So, you will want to save your phone for phone calls (imagine that). Since your area could be without power for a few days and you will most likely be using your phone multiple times a day to check in with your loved ones, you may also want to invest in an additional battery source for your phone.
There are a lot of different ways to charge your phone without electricity. A lot of companies offer very cheap portable phone chargers. CNN did a whole article on how to best charge your phone in a power outage. You can find that here: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/tech/mobile/sandy-charge-devices/index.html
How to Stay Cool
We will be doing a whole other series on how to stay warm in a power outage as it will most likely be related to snow storm or blizzard.
To stay cool during a power outage, one of the simplest things you can do is open a window. As long as the storm has passed and the threat from the elements is gone, you should be able to create a nice cross breeze in your home by opening a few windows. You will want to keep the drapes closed, however as the light will heat up the room very quickly.
You can also invest in a battery-powered fan. Little fans can provide some relieve from the stifling air inside the home.
You will also want to wear lose, light weight clothing and avoid eating anything too heavy or carbonated. These foods can result in increased body temperature and add to your discomfort. Another thing you will want to make sure to do is continually hydrate yourself. If you are sweating due to the heat, you will want to make sure that you are drinking enough water to ensure you don’t become dehydrated.
Also, if you have a basement or two-story home, take your family and pets to the lowest level, as this is usually the coolest.
Tomorrow we will talk about how to best prepare and store foods without power.
Until tomorrow!
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