5 Tips on How to Survive a Power Blackout

Severe power blackouts due to harsh weather conditions or austere technical emergencies can leave you feeling scared and helpless, especially when several hours have passed. Unless you’ve experienced it before and are prepared for the worst, it’s difficult to imagine surviving in a complete power blackout, even for a few minutes. If you hail from locations that experience crazy snowfalls and thunderstorms or are surrounded by experimenting technical mills, you can likely undergo power blackouts several times. Even if it’s a blackout for other reasons, preparing beforehand can make your survival easier.

Here are a few tips that you can follow during these difficult situations:

1. Stock Your Pantry

If the power has been out for several hours, cooking and feeding your children is impossible. You can only reach your pantry or food shelves and grab the first thing you get. A long-term pantry with an endless food supply will ensure no one goes hungry or stays cranky for longer hours.

Prepare your food list smartly and add some of your family’s favourite items that are easy to grab and eat. These can include bread, cheese, milk, cereal, crackers, cookies, canned vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, granola bars, instant coffee, dried fruit, chips, and juice. Whenever you shop, buy these in bulk (especially when there is a discount).

2. Get a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can lead to death. It is most commonly produced during power outages, and thus, we need to be aware of its release. Installing a carbon monoxide detector can alert you of its presence in the atmosphere. Make sure to not use outdoor grills or generators inside. More importantly, buy a detector that operates on batteries. Keep checking on the battery and make sure that you have spares.

3. Install a Generator

A generator is the most crucial tool during blackouts to produce backup power. With multiple types of generators available today, the two most commonly used are petroleum and solar generators. When you compare and research petroleum vs solar generators, you find that both serve respective purposes and can be difficult to choose from. You need to narrow your options by thinking of the primary purpose and rethinking the pros and cons.

Solar generators do not produce harmful emissions, can be easily changed, and are compact. However, they do not function for longer hours and aren’t ideal for powering your house. Petroleum generators are easy to start and more powerful, but they are not compact and make a lot of noise. Hence, you can choose an appropriate generator depending on the area, location, and functionality.

4. Ensure Sanitary and Hygienic Conditions

If you’re used to hot water for bathing, washing dishes and taking a dump, a power blackout will ruin your sanitary experience. It will devoid you of hot water, leaving you uncomfortable and uneasy. At times, there can be issues in flushing the toilet; hence, keeping a lot of water handy gives you the option of manually flushing by forcefully throwing water down the tank. Keep antibacterial soaps and wipes nearby to ensure a hygienic environment and prevent people from falling sick. Having a septic tank wouldn’t be a problem, but staying prepared is always better.

5. Keep Power Supplies Handy

Firstly, make sure that you turn on the power-saving mode of all electronic devices as soon as the blackout occurs to increase the longevity of the devices. Secondly, store additional power supplies such as fully charged power banks or extra batteries to ensure your electronic devices don’t die soon. Devices like cell phones are extremely important during emergency situations like these and so you need to keep them running as long as possible. A solar charger or in-car chargers are other power supply options if you run out of the first options. Keep a few disposable batteries in hand that can be replaced in suitable devices.

Apart from these tips, you need to make sure that you have first aid kits and all kinds of medical needs prepared for children and elderly persons. You never know how long until you see the power again. Don’t panic because people around you might rely on you. Staying calm and composed in these situations can win the first half of the battle. And being prepared with these tips can warrant a complete victory.