Preparing for extended power outages
March 20, 2014
Consider extended power outages when creating a disaster preparedness plan.
Most of us can, reluctantly, endure the occasional brief power outage from a summer
thunderstorm.
But an extended power outage can be a challenge to our dependence on modern appliances and
electronic devices, and disaster plans should take power loss into account. Lengthy power outages
can result from many sources, and your disaster plans may change with the seasons:
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weight of snow or ice downing lines in the winter
branches falling on wires during spring or summer storms
utility-driven blackouts or brownouts at any time of year
The Federal Emergency Management Agency describes steps to take before, during and after power
outages, including conservation measures for areas subject to widespread utility brownouts or
blackouts. Reminder: To prevent damage to electrical appliances as a result of power surges when
power is restored, unplug any non-essential electrical appliances.
Special needs
Your family’s medical needs should top your emergency plan:
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Prescriptions ̶ Most refrigerated medicines will be fine for a few hours in the refrigerator, according
to the Ready.gov website. After a longer outage, medications may lose their effectiveness. The Food
and Drug Administration provides advice on medication safety following power outages.
Powered medical equipment ̶ You may need a backup battery system for essential medical devices.
The Food and Drug Administration offers tips for creating a personal emergency file for people who
rely on electrically powered medical devices. Some communities have registration programs that
place priority on restoring power to homes where medical equipment is in use. Check with your local
authorities.
Refrigeration and food safety
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration cover safety
tips for foods stored in refrigerators or freezers.
The Ready.gov website suggests keeping extra jugs of water in your refrigerator and blocks of ice in
your freezer to keep contents cold longer in case of outage. If you have the space, it’s more efficient
to keep it filled.
The University of Minnesota Extension Service tells which thawed foods are safe to refreeze.
Generators
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The American Red Cross offers tips on purchasing, installing and safely using emergency generators.
Take all necessary precautions to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning; don’t use a generator
indoors, including in a basement or garage.
Keep in mind that in widespread catastrophes, gas stations may not have electricity to pump gas, so
you may need to keep a supply of fuel for your generator on hand, requiring additional safe storage
precautions.
Some whole-house generators use natural gas supplied from underground piping, which may be
more dependable, except in earthquake zones.
Communications
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Have a battery-powered emergency radio and extra batteries available.
Unless a widespread disruption takes out cell towers, your cell phone may continue to work in an
emergency as long as you have batteries.
Stock extra phone batteries for emergencies, and keep a car charger on hand.
Hand-crank radios and phone chargers are also available for purchase.
Wired phones may also continue to work for phone sets that do not require batteries. You might
consider keeping an older phone on hand to plug in during emergencies.