How to survive a power outage

Video: How to Survive a Winter Power Outage

Content

Steps
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

If the light in the house is turned off, then you are not just sitting in the dark: the refrigerator turns off, and everything is defrosting. If you live in a tropical climate, air conditioners and outboard fans are immediately turned off in the premises. The lights and all electrical appliances are turned off, and you just sit in the dark, waiting for the lights to turn on. Most power outages caused by damaged power lines last no more than one to two days. If this happens in winter, the power supply can be restored for weeks.

Steps

1 Think about what might turn off the lights in your area. It can be caused by snow storms in one area and tropical hurricanes in another. What causes power outages in a city are unknown in rural areas, and vice versa.
2 Prepare perishable food. If it's hot outside, remove anything that might be missing from the refrigerator and cook it before it gets hot. Eat the cooked one as quickly as possible.
3 Keep in stock non-perishable foods that can be stored under all conditions, or even better, those that do not require cooking.
- These products can be canned food, taranka, dry soups and vegetables, as well as juices that can be stored at room temperature for several months. The food should always contain crackers and biscuits. This is to eat after the perishable food runs out or is gone.
- To extend the shelf life of perishable food, do not open the refrigerator unless absolutely necessary. The refrigerator is sealed, so cold air stays inside for some time after a power outage. But, the more often you open it, the more room air enters inside, and the faster the food stored in it will deteriorate. Also, you can reduce the loss of cold by placing food close to each other in the refrigerator.
4 Use a fallback method for reheating food: a kerosene stove or barbecue (just do not cook on this indoors, so as not to be poisoned by carbon monoxide). If you have a match, you can use a gas stove. Stock up on fuel in case there is no light for several days.
- Water is a more essential item than food, and if the water supply in your house is carried out by a pump, then in the event of a power outage, the water supply will be cut off. Store several spare drinking water cylinders. Fill the tub and buckets with water for toilet flushing, cleaning and washing.
- Read the article on how to get water out of the boiler.
5 Consider heating / cooling alternatives for your home depending on climate conditions. Do you need to stock up on wood for the stove? Or, portable fans can be used for cooling. If your home is fired with natural gas or propane, install a gas fireplace with built-in thermoelectric electronic ignition. Might be worth getting a diesel generator?
6 Equip your home with emergency lights that come on when the power goes out. Most emergency bulbs will shine for about 90 minutes.
- Buy bulbs that recognize darkness before turning on. Otherwise, the batteries will run out before dark.
- Modern emergency lamps shine longer and better thanks to the increased brightness of the LEDs and the battery capacity.
- Choose an emergency lamp design online that will blend in with your room decor. Start with the most visited places in the house - the kitchen and bathroom.
7 During the absence of electricity, it is better, if possible, to be outside the house. Go to the market, or to the movies. Dine at a cafe or restaurant.
- If your house is not covered with snow and you are not sick, then it is better to be outside. You may not go home most of the day.
8 Remember that without light you can't watch TV or play electronic games. Do not use the emergency light for reading - it is only for essential actions. Come up with games, sing songs, and finally practice the ancient art of live communication. A sense of humor will defuse the atmosphere and time will fly by.
- Read a book. But, remember that this should only be done in daylight. It's best to go to bed after dark, especially when you consider that you have nothing to do. In a dream, time flies unnoticed.
9 Make sure the flashlight is always charged. It will illuminate the room better than an emergency lamp. Store the manual can opener in an easily accessible place.
10 Keep your portable radio charged for listening to local news. Phones will go dead quickly, so it's a good idea to have a portable charger.

Tips

If the light is suddenly turned off, do not suddenly explode to get the flashlight. Wait a couple of minutes and your eyes will adjust to darkness. You will be able to distinguish between some objects, and you will not stumble on a table, wall or open door on the way.
Apply fluorescent stickers to the emergency lamps. Place them on the bookshelf, near the TV, on the nightstand. When the lights are off, stickers will alert you to the position of the emergency lamps.
Buy board games: checkers, cards, puzzles, in case you and your children will not be entertained by TV and computer games. Think about how people diluted their leisure time before the invention of electricity.
Remember that cordless phones do not work without light. It is advisable to have at least one wired landline telephone. Purchase a car cigarette lighter charger to recharge mobile phones.
Buy self-charging radios and emergency lights, and glowing stickers. All of these things work without batteries and will help you be aware of the cause of the blackout and the timing of restoration work.
In the event of a power outage, call the emergency dispatch office. You may be the first to notice the problem, and the sooner you call, the sooner the electricity supply will be restored.
Don't call emergency services to ask when the lights are on. One call is enough. The service employs responsible qualified workers who understand that the city is left without electricity.Pesky calls and complaints will not speed up the renovation work, and it is useless to use the hotline.
If your computer is connected to an uninterruptible power supply, save everything, and turn it off as soon as possible.
Buy some books in case you have nothing to do. Reading will help you enjoy your time.
If there are persistent electricity problems in your area, consider your own wind farm, solar panels or biofuel generators, battery powered. All of this should be installed so that line fitters are not injured, and there should be stickers on all of it: "Auxiliary Power Plant".

Warnings

Diesel generators installed in a home or garage can be deadly by letting poisonous fumes into your home. Carbon monoxide is odorless, your electronic gas detectors will not fire without light. Never use the generator in your home or garage!
These tips apply only to short-term (several days) power outages. All of this does not apply in the case of natural disasters, during which you need to act differently and for which you need to better prepare. You may even have to evacuate.
Candles, if mishandled, can cause a fire. Candle fires kill more than 140 people every year, according to the US National Fire Protection Agency, with a third of the deaths attributed to the use of candles for lighting. Candles are not recommended for lighting in the event of a power outage. Emergency lamps are safer.
When using a generator, use extreme caution to ensure that all extension cords are appropriately sized and included in the Safety Lab. Generators kill people with electric shocks.
Primuses and camp stoves also kill people - either with carbon monoxide or by causing a fire. Use these items with extreme care and do not bring them into your home or garage.