Most of us take our electric power supply for granted.  Although no utility is perfect, for the most part, electricity is very reliable in the United States.  But when severe weather hits, the lights can go out.  And if your power is not restored for the better part of a day, living without electricity can become worse than an inconvenience.  There is much you can do to better prepare yourself for coping with power outages, no matter what their duration.  Here is a list of items to get you started thinking about emergency preparedness in your household.

Power Outage Tips

Be Prepared

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Emergency Preparedness!

Dealing with the loss of Electrical Power

Lighting

All photos on this page were taken with a Canon EOS 10D digital SLR camera.

When the Lights go Out

If a power outage occurs after sundown, a plunge into the darkness can be very unsettling.  Getting our sight back with alternative sources of illumination is the first priority.  This can happen automatically with small utility lights that stay plugged in to a standard electrical outlet continuously.  These small, inexpensive, emergency lights keep their batteries charged at all times, and switch themselves on when your house electricity fails.  Intermatic is one company that manufactures these lights.

But if the power is off for more than an hour, you will need more robust sources of lighting.  A variety of D-cell flashlights and a stash of extra alkaline batteries would be prudent.  Flashlights that illuminate using LEDs instead of bulbs will last longer on a given set of batteries.

To illuminate a room for an extended period of time, oil lamps and hurricane lamps and a supply of lamp oil work well.  The brightest room lighting is obtained through the use of camping lanterns that burn propane or white gas.

Water

If your house is supplied by a well, then water is a concern when the power fails.  You could store a supply of water: either bottled water, or tap water in washed-out milk jugs.  An alternative would be an emergency backup power generator to run your well, discussed on page 2.

Communication

At home, cordless telephones have become the norm, but it is important to not overlook the fact that they need household power to operate.  Standard telephone service almost always remains in operation even during a long power outage.  So it is recommended that one standard corded telephone always be kept in your home, to provide a means for emergency communication while the lights are out.

Media

Power outages most often occur during severe weather, and for that reason it is desirable to have access to local news and current weather conditions.  Weather radios can be an important source of critical storm advisory information.  Many are battery operated.  Of the AC powered receivers, the best contain backup batteries.  (Make sure to check the condition of the batteries on a regular basis!)

AM - FM radios are readily available in battery-operated forms.  Again, make sure you have the correct size batteries on hand for the device.  An even better choice is a radio manufactured by FreePlay.  It uses a windup dynamo mechanism to generate power for the radio, and is of very dependable quality.

The majority of Americans get their weather information from television broadcasts.  By its nature, the color video and computerized maps deliver more details than one can acquire by radio.  Very small TVs (9 inches and under) often have built-in provisions for battery power.  They also might be able to be powered using a DC to AC power inverter, discussed below.

If your standard TV viewing method is via cable or satellite, keep a simple TV antenna handy to be able to receive local news channels over the air.

Good quality rabbit ears

provide indoor TV reception

These rabbit ears may be of the finest quality, but do little to improve reception of television signals over the air.

Cooking

If you like to eat your meals hot and your kitchen range uses electricity, you will want a temporary substitute.  If the weather is permitting, a backyard charcoal or gas grill will fit the bill just fine.  Alternatively, it could be a good idea to have a camping stove ready to go.  Camping stoves are readily available in sporting goods departments of discount stores and come in many varieties.  Whether fueled by propane or gas, make sure to keep enough fuel in stock for your needs.

Misc. low-wattage devices

To power a variety of electrical items that do not consume much power, there are portable power stations that can be very handy during an outage.  Marketed towards emergency preparedness, these usually contain a bundle of features that include a light, a radio, and an AC electrical outlet.  Inside is a lead-acid battery of course, and a power inverter that creates 120 volts AC from the 12 volt battery.  This can be used to charge your cell phone, operate an electric shaver, or to power the household cordless telephone.  Be aware that the duration is very limited, and the power station cannot be used to run anything with a high current draw.

A more robust version of the power station can be homemade by purchasing a standard inverter and keeping a car battery charged up in a plastic bucket.  Although quite heavy, and completely dependent upon you to keep it charged, this clunky combination can prove endlessly versatile, long lasting, and downright convenient during a long power outage.