Coping with Power Outages
Sudden power outages can be frustrating and troublesome, especially when they last a long time. If a power outage is 2 hours or less, don’t be concerned about losing your perishable foods. For prolonged power outages, though, there are steps you can take to minimize food loss and to keep all members of your household as comfortable as possible.
To help preserve your food during a power outage, keep the following supplies in your home .
- One or more coolers—Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers work well
- Ice—Surrounding your food with ice in a cooler or in the refrigerator will keep food colder for a longer period of time during a prolonged power outage
- A digital quick-response thermometer— With these thermometers you can quickly check the internal temperatures of food to ensure they are cold enough to use safely
It’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit handy in case of power outages or other emergencies — especially with the threat of stormy weather in fall and winter. See recommendations from the American Red Cross below.
Emergency kit basics
- Water (one gallon per person, per day; keep a two-week supply at home)
- Food (non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items; two week supply at home)
- Flashlight and battery-powered radio, along with extra batteries
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
- First-aid kit, toiletries, medications and medical items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Copies of personal documents, along with family and emergency contact information
- Extra cash, clothing and blankets
- Cell phones and chargers
- Maps of the area
- Medications (7 day supply) and medical items
- Personal hygiene items
Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:
- Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc)
- Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
- Games and activities for children
- Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
- Two-way radios
- Extra set of car keys and house keys
- Manual can opener
To learn more visit http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/power-outage