Power Outage Preparation

Winter’s unbearably cold temperatures bring the potential for extreme weather. One of Mister Sparky’s core values is safety, and we want to prepare you by providing you with as much safety knowledge as possible. That’s why we’re discussing what you can do to prepare for power outages now, and what actions need to be taken when severe weather is approaching. Then we’ll wrap it up by discussing what to do during power outages.

Prepare for a Power Outage

1. Put together an emergency kit. Include candles, matches, flashlights, batteries, first aid materials, cash and any other essentials you’ll think you’ll need. Store it in a safe place you’ll remember!
2. Buy a vehicle-powered cell phone charger. Many Americans rely on their cell phones as their sole form of communication with family and friends. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you have no line of communication. Invest in a vehicle-powered cell phone charger today—they’re inexpensive.
3. Get a battery-powered radio. Otherwise, in the event of a power outage there will be no access to television, updates on power outages, school closings and other important news. Just buy the radio and put yourself at ease.

Things To Do When Severe Weather Is Approaching

1. Make sure your car’s gas tank is not empty. In the event of a power outage, you may need enough gas to travel for an emergency situation. Most gas stations have electric powered pumps, so you may not be able to get gas from nearby stations. If your car runs out of gas, you won’t be able to charge your cell phone, stay warm, or travel to safety.
2. Trim your tree branches. Take a look around your property and take note of any low hanging branches near power lines. If they hang over, trim them or have them trimmed. Doing this before high winds or a possible ice storm hits will decrease your chances of a power outage.
3. Turn your refrigerator and freezer temperatures down. By lowering your refrigerator and freezer to the lowest temperature settings, food will stay at safe temperatures longer if there is a power outage. Taking thirty seconds to do this could end up saving you lots of money in groceries!

Things To Do During a Power Outage

1. If you run a generator, keep it in a ventilated area. You don’t want carbon-monoxide fumes filling up your living space as they can be deadly. Another safety precaution is to never plug in a generator into your home’s electrical system. This is to keep from creating a back feed into utility lines, which can severely hurt or even kill someone working to get your power back on. Instead, plug any electronics or appliances directly into the generator.
2. Unplug all your appliances. By doing this, you decrease your risk for destroying your appliances during a power surge. Remember to leave one light on so you know when the power is back on.
3. Keep your refrigerator or freezer closed to help maintain a lower temperature, allowing your foods to stay fresh longer. Also, contrary to what you’ve been told, refrain from putting your food outside. The sun can thaw your food and there’s also a chance your food may become completely frozen if it’s cold enough.