50 Things That Aren't Working With the Power Out

Today was day one of the massive power outage in northern California.  On the one hand, it looks like many people either weren't informed or didn't pay attention when told ahead of time about the upcoming power outage.  On the other hand, this is a good reminder to everyone about what works (not many things) and more importantly, what doesn't work, when the power is out.  Here are 50 things that aren't working according to people in the northern California area when asked about the outage:

1. Gas stations (some have generators, others have closed down because they don't)
2. Charging stations (for Teslas, for power wheel chairs, etc)
3. House power used to charge medical devices (CPAP machines, portable oxygen systems, etc)
4. ATM machines (have cash on hand for emergency purchases of food, medication, water, etc)
5. Stores (most don't have generators, some are allowing people to shop in the dark if they can pay cash for their purchases, cash registers don't work so paper addition it is)
6. Pharmacies (these may not have power for a week or more so having a plan to stock/get medication is necessary)
7. Home security systems, home security lighting
8. Water to homes (unless water is provided by a gravity system; wells with electric pumps and other power-assisted systems aren't working)
9. Water purification systems (residents were told to boil water that came out of the faucets because it could be contaminated)
10. Toilets (toilets are non-electric, usually, but if there is no water, toilets can still be flushed using other waste water like from washing dishes)
11. Hot water heaters (on demand hot water systems won't work, electric hot water tanks won't work, some gas hot water heaters will work and some won't depending on the type of pilot light it has)
12. Internet (no power, no modem, no Netflix, no YouTube, no online anything)
13. Cell service (either because of dead phone batteries or cell towers with no power)
14. Schools are closed down (creating a daycare emergency)
15. Dentists offices (people with dental emergencies need to go further to find an open office)
16. Hospitals (they have generators but some are starting to divert patients to other areas not impacted by the power outage)
17. Home appliances (gas stoves still work if you light them with a match, refrigerators and freezers will become useless if the outage continues, microwaves won't work)
18. Refrigeration for insulin and other medications that require refrigeration are a top concern
19. Small home appliances (a reminder to keep a manual can opener on hand and have a plan to make coffee when your electric coffee maker won't function)
20. Home lighting (candles, lanterns, flashlights, and batteries were flying off the shelves of local stores)
21. Commercial refrigeration (which will soon be a problem for restaurants and grocery stores)
22. Street lights and traffic signal lights (there have been many car accidents reported in areas without power)
23. Small businesses (they generally don't have back-up generators)
24. Public transit which relies on electricity (BART is reported to be having problems with some of their buses and trains due to the power outage)
25. Elevators and escalators
26. The website for the power company (PGE's site has been down all day)
27. Jobs (many workers were sent home if their workplace had no power; for many of these people that meant no pay for the hours/days missed)
28. Any entertainment options that require power (phones, tablets, computers, gaming systems, etc)
29. Heating, fans, and air conditioning systems in homes
30. The airport (San Jose airport is putting their emergency plan in place in case the blackout affects them)
31. Aquariums (both aquariums in people's homes as well as outdoor pond pumps)
32. Swimming pool pumps
33. Law and order (PGE offices were barricaded by police to keep out angry customers, one PGE worker was shot at; some areas have declared curfews to reduce the possibility of crime)
34. Parks (many national parks in the outage area were closed down)
35. Zoo (the Oakland Zoo was closed due to the power outage)
36. Roadway tunnels were closed, including the Caldecott Tunnel and Devil's Slide Tunnel on Hwy 1
37. TV and radio only work if they are battery-powered or connected to a generator
38. Electric garage door openers won't work (know how to open your garage door manually)
39. Generators were either sold out, out of fuel, or people were being warned not to electrocute themselves and/or cause a carbon monoxide poisoning event when using them
40. Ice, water, groceries, and propane tanks for backyard grills were also sold out at many stores in the outage areas
41. There is concern that some fire hydrants wouldn't work when needed
42. 911 dispatch centers were asking people not to call unless it was truly a life or death emergency in order to keep the phone lines open
43. All first responders (fire fighters and police) were being mobilized to respond to fire or other public safety incidents
44. Washers and dryers won't work without power so an extended power outage may mean doing laundry by hand
45. Sewer and septic systems may or may not work depending on if they require power to operate
46. Many non-critical government offices in the outage areas were closed so things like getting permits were impacted
47. Some restaurants and coffee shops closed, some remained open; some were cash-only, some were operating in the dark
48. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was closed down due to the power outage
49. People were being urged to unplug all appliances so they won't be damaged when the power surged back on
50. Many people were worried about having to throw out spoiled food; an expensive but better option than getting food poisoning

What Are You Doing Wednesday?

If you live in northern California, you may be getting ready to hunker down without power for a week.

While talking about prepping for an extended power outage here would be like preaching to the choir, I am guessing that of the nearly one million people who will be affected by this outage, the vast majority will probably be unprepared to go without electricity for a week or longer.

So what should you do if you get caught up in this extended power outage?  Consider these tips here, here, here, here, here, and here.

20 Things from Today's Power Outage

We had a power outage in my city today.  Not a big deal but it definitely made me think since power outages are extremely rare here.  Here are some things to consider…

1. Figure out why the power went out.  I looked outside, noticed no signs of power at any of the neighbors houses (no lights, no sound of their air conditioning systems) and figured the whole neighborhood was out.  I didn’t see any downed power lines (actually the lines are buried in our neighborhood but if you happen to go outside during an outage be aware that fallen lines can still be hot so don’t touch them) and there was no sign that anything was wrong, it was also blissfully quiet.
2. Do you keep your cell phone, tablet, and laptop charged up?  You don't want to have a dead cell phone during a power outage so always keep these items reasonably charged.  Also make sure your delicate electronics are plugged into surge protectors as you don’t want them to be toast when the power surges back on.
3. A power outage is a great time to break out an actual book, a paper book of crossword puzzles, board games for the kids, or just go outside and play/relax.  You can also take out your battery-operated radio for entertainment and to hear updates on the news.
4. Do you have a back up battery system to charge your electronic devices?  Power banks should always be kept charged.  You can also charge your cell phone in your vehicle (make sure you have the hardware to do this), and the emergency jump starter battery I have for our vehicles also has USB charging capabilities.
5. Do you need a gas-powered generator to provide back-up power?  In our case, not really.  Power outages are rare here, we have no medical devices that require power, etc.  On the other hand, many friends in the northeast and in rural areas have generators hard-wired to their home's electrical service since power outages can last quite a long time where they live, especially in the winter.
6. Where are your flashlights and extra batteries?  Fortunately the outage happened during the day and there is plenty of natural light so flashlights weren’t needed.  If this had happened at night I probably would have just went to sleep, but it is always good to have several flashlights with good batteries on hand just in case.
7. Cell phone service still worked so that was nice.  If your cell phone only works well when you are using your home wifi (which goes out during a power outage) then you may need a secondary way to communicate.  Note that HAM radios are both a fun hobby and a good way to communicate with the outside world when there is a major, long-term power outage.
8. If your cell phone service still works, you can use it to check the local power company’s web page for outage information and report your area as being part of the outage to the company.
9. Social media access is also great for getting more info on the problem.  Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, Reddit, etc.  all can be used by friends, neighbors, and the public at large as well as the power company to share information about the outage.
10. Toilets will work during a power outage.  The only time a power outage would be a concern with your sewage system is if you use certain types of septic systems.
11. Cooking was no problem as we have a gas-fueled stove.  If it had been an electric stove it, of course, wouldn’t have worked.  As a back up, in case the gas does out, we could have used the patio grill for cooking or just ate food that didn’t need to be cooked.
12. The air conditioning, which is powered by electricity, stopped working.  Not so much of a problem during a short outage, since it isn’t very hot today we just kept the doors and windows closed, but for a longer term outage in the desert, in the summer, we would be in trouble.
13. The fish tanks shut down.  Apparently the fish can live for a while with no aeration of the tank.
14. The washing machine was in the middle of a cycle when the power outage happened.  It shut off so no problem there but when the power came back on, the machine didn’t want to turn back on (so much for a fancy machine with all the bells and whistles).  Simply unplugging the machine and waiting a minute then plugging it in again rebooted the machine and it works fine now.  For a long term power outage doing laundry by hand would suck.
15. Food in the refrigerator and freezer was fine since it was a short-term outage.  If your power outage lasts more than a few days, you will want to start eating as much refrigerated and frozen food as possible since it will go bad after a short while with no way to keep it cold or frozen.
16. If your security system doesn’t have a battery back up, obviously it won’t work during a power outage so prepare accordingly (ditto your garage door opener, your exterior lights unless they are solar, your Ring doorbell, etc).
17. As a last resort, evacuating, either for a few hours or a few days or longer depending on how long the outage lasts would be an option.  This is why you want a full gas tank at all times since if there is a major outage in the city, #1, gas stations need electricity to pump gas and most don’t have generators, and #2, everyone in the city will also be wanting to get gas (see also, what gas stations look like in hurricane evacuation areas).  This is a good reason to keep some cash on hand too as you may need to take the family out to eat and to a movie or something while you wait for the power to come back on.
18. For people who can't evacuate and can't really survive in their home for a longer-term outage (either it's too hot or too cold outside), most communities will open warming/cooling shelters so that is an option.  Listen to the local news for information on these alternatives.
19. Do you have a bug out bag packed and ready?  If you only evacuate to the nearest mall which still has electricity, this wouldn’t be a big deal but if you had to jump in your car and hit the road to stay at a friend’s house in the next state, you will want your BOB packed and ready to go.
20. Last resort, for a long-term outage when the natives are getting restless, be able to protect you and yours.  The more dire the situation, the more desperate people become.  Have a way to protect yourself and your home from looters and the like.

Power Outages

Power outages may well be the next big disaster to prepare for.  Between recent country-wide outages like the one that took down power in several South American countries, planned power outages to avoid wild fire which were recently announced, and the major power outage that hit New York City last night, it's a good time to plan for what you would do if there was a major power outage in your city.  Fortunately in these instances power was quickly restored (unlike the 11 MONTHS it took to restore power to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico) but if you are planning, you might as well make a few plans for both short and long-term outages.  Here's what to do:

• For short-term outages, having a battery back-up system is a good option.  From power banks that charge your cell phone, to battery banks to power an entire house, battery power systems have a place in preparedness.
• One of the main go-to's for power back-up during a disaster is a generator.  The plus side--one adequately-sized generator can power an entire house, the length of time which depends on how much fuel you have.  The down-side is that you need to somehow procure copious amounts of fuel to keep your generator going.  In places where short-term power outages are common, stored fuel and generators that are hard-wired into your home's electrical system are common.
• An off-grid, solar-powered home is an ideal solution for today's power woes.  Although solar systems and battery storage systems are expensive and require ongoing maintenance (and a goodly amount of sun), having your own home-generated power will make you say "what power outage?"
• A smaller solar power system may be another option.  Solar power systems have been brought down to such a small size that backpackers can carry them to keep their cell phones and camera gear easily charged.  These systems are much, much smaller than whole-home solar systems and can supply a little bit of power (although nothing near large enough to power a refrigerator, for example).
• Doing without.  This is, unfortunately, the long-term plan for most people.  If power will be out for a considerable length of time, reverting back to the Dark (literally) Ages may be most people's only option.  When you think about how much power is required for your everyday life--literally from the moment you wake up until you turn the lights off at night--doing without power for the long-term sounds like a difficult option to even consider.  The Amish seem to do well with this and most people can figure out short-term solutions like candles and oil lamps, but for long-term planning, check out power-less options for your daily needs.
• Finally there is the "cobble together a solution" option.  I've seen one (very long) extension cord power an entire block in some poor countries (this is also how one fire can wipe out an entire village but that's another post).  Backpackers are used to doing without power; the old timers literally only had a camp fire for their cooking/reading/protection needs but today's hikers at least use battery-powered headlamps and flashlights.  Most people have a hand-cranked radio on hand for emergency use during a power outage, and many people in Puerto Rico would power up devices while they were at work (where there was power) to use at home (where they didn't have power).

A Long-Term Power Outage

Venezuela is in the midst of a long-term power outage and no one seems to know how long it will last.  So while the politicians use this situation as a battering ram against each other, sick people are dying and poor people are suffering.  For preppers looking at this situation, the need to prepare ahead of time for the rare possibility that something like that could happen here, should be top of mind, whether you prepare for the one-off major disaster that takes out power for several days or even weeks or the small power outages that can happen when a transformer explodes.

Here are some power outage preparedness tips to consider:

• Anyone who has critical medical needs should be evacuated to a place with stable electricity.  Using generators or other stop-gap measures aren't reliable for long-term medical needs.
• Having a complete solar set up, with reliable sun, is probably the best way to go although this is both expensive and depending on where you live, can be a problem depending on the power company in your area (it's a complicated and convoluted situation if you want to completely disconnect from the power company in many areas).
• Having a generator is a good, albeit short-term, answer to a power outage.  Generators rely on fuel which you probably won't be able to store enough of for long-term power outages and getting replacement fuel from the local gas station is nearly impossible after many days of a power outage because everyone else is there trying to get fuel and most fuel pumps will not be able to work without electricity.
• Portable solar chargers which are used by backpackers are a good enough alternative for small power needs like charging cell phones (although cell phones tend not to work during long-term power outages as the cell towers do not have electricity) or charging your HAM radio (a better communication device during a long-term disaster than a cell phone).
• Look for alternatives to support other power needs  If you have an electric stove, get a gas grill to use as a back-up for cooking; if you use electric heat, consider getting a wood burning stove for heat.
• Consider other ramifications of a long-term power outage.  Food may or may not get to your area and stores may or may not be open (they probably won't be open for long if there is no power for refrigeration/freezers or to run cash registers/credit card machines) so stockpile plenty of food.  Consider how you will get water; whether your well needs electricity to function or your municipal water system needs power to function, you need to be prepared with plenty of water stored and, if you have a shallow well, an alternate method to pump up water.  Other systems, from your security system to your garage door opener to your TV to your fish tank systems will also cease to function without power so plan ahead for these things.
• Practice living without electricity.  Whether you go on week-long backpacking trips or shut off the main breaker at your home for the weekend, by practicing what it is like to live without electricity you will be better able to plan for things that you wouldn't think about until you actually don't have any power.

Power's Out? Here's What to Do

While I am basking in 65 degree weather in Las Vegas, much of the nation is being pummeled with snow and ice, especially the New England states.  Here's what to do if you are without power in the middle of a snow storm:

• Prepare way ahead of time.  Stockpile food, water, batteries, books, board games, etc.  Figure out what your alternate cooking, lighting, and heating plans are if you have no electricity.  If you have regular power outages consider a generator and have extra fuel on hand.  Figure out what to do ahead of time if you have a well with an electric pump and how to open your garage door when there is no power.
• When the power first goes out give it a bit of time to see if it will come back online.  If it doesn't come back on, call the outage in to your local power company.
• If you can stay inside, do so.  Snow, ice, and wind can bring down trees and power lines which can be deadly if they fall on you.  You also don't want to be driving or walking outside during a storm if at all possible.
• Use flashlights if you need light.  Candles are OK but are more likely to cause a fire.  At night, if you have those solar yard lights, bring them in to light your house.
• Make a "warm room".  It is easier to keep one room warm than the entire house.  Follow the directions on your alternate heating device (propane stove, etc) and if it says use in a ventilated area, don't use it in a sealed room.
• Even better than a warm room is a freestanding tent/sleeping pad/sleeping bag set up which is even easier to keep warm in.
• Never use combustion devices (BBQ grill, etc) indoors; carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless and it can quickly kill you.
• If you are using a generator to power your appliances, make sure the generator is located outside and away from the house/windows so carbon monoxide doesn't seep into your home.
• Bundle up.  Wear extra layers of clothes, socks, gloves, a hat, etc.
• Layer up.  Cover up with extra blankets to retain body heat.
• If it will be a prolonged power outage, consider going somewhere that has power (a friend's house, a warming shelter, a hotel).
• Disconnect any electronics/appliances which are plugged into outlets (so the power surge when the power comes back on dosen't fry them).
• If it becomes really really cold consider pocket hand warmers, a heated brick to keep your feet warm, and/or cuddling up with a hot water bottle.
• If you have a wood stove, bring wood to the back door to reduce trips outside.  Wood stoves are wonderful for power outages as you can usually heat a large room as well as heat water and food on them.
• Keep windows covered with heavy drapes to prevent air leaks into your home.
• Make the power outage a fun camping experience for the family instead of a crisis.  Break out the marshmallows and make S'mores in the fireplace.  Play board games, read books, or tell stories to keep everyone entertained.
• Eat well (you burn more calories when cold), eat hot food if possible (soup warms you from the inside), and drink warm beverages if possible.
• Be aware of cold-related injuries such as hypothermia and frostbite and seek immediate medical assistance for these or other medical emergencies.
• Listen to local (battery powered or hand-crank) radio for emergency messages specific to your area.
• You can charge tablets, computers, and cell phones in your vehicle but be sure that if you need to run your car to charge these items, you do so outside of the garage to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Have a triple redundant back up plan if people in your home have critical electricity needs (like someone on a ventilator or someone who relies on other electricity-powered health devices).
• Bring pets inside so they can stay safe and warm.  If you have livestock, prepare ahead of time to take care of them.
• Take care of your home before and during a storm: let water drip in faucets so pipes don't freeze, remove snow if it gets too deep on your roof, keep gutters clear, etc.

Power Outage at CES

But for the irony in the fact that the largest consumer electronics show on the planet had no power for a few hours yesterday, Las Vegas probably wouldn't have made the national news.  Although it wasn't a major power outage, it left the Convention Center quite dark for a few hours.  This is a good reminder that a major power outage can hit at any time, even when you are least prepared for it.  Here are the items you want to have with you in such an event:

• A glow-in-the-dark lanyard (you don't want to be run over by people or things in the dark so this way they can at least know you are there)
• A small flashlight (yes you can use your cell phone for this but why run the battery down when a small, lightweight flashlight can do the job for you?)
• A battery power bank (to at least keep your cell phone charged)
• Small padlocks or zip ties (a blackout is the perfect time for someone to get into your day pack and snag your stuff--not that they will--but better safe than sorry so the minutes the lights go off, secure your gear)
• A bottle of water and some snacks (if the power is out for a while the vending machines won't be working and you might be hungry/thirsty so plan accordingly)
• Some cash (concession stands may still be taking cash for food and drinks but if there is no power you can't get your money from an ATM so carry actual money)
• A whistle (always a good way to signal for emergency help if needed)
• A photo of the floor plan showing emergency exits (the lit up kiosks showing the floor plan of the center won't be lit up if there is no power; make it a habit to always take a photo of the event center so you will know where the exits are in case of an emergency)
• A GPS tracking app for friends and family (you may not be able to find people in the dark but if everyone in your group has a GPS tracking app on their phone you can all easily regroup)
• Appropriate shoes and clothing (it goes without saying that any time you go to a large convention you want to have good walking shoes on but you should also carry a jacket in case you are evacuated from the building and out into the cold and rain)

Lessons From a Long-Term Power Outage in Puerto Rico

Last week someone living in Puerto Rico offered the world (well, Reddit) some insight on what it is like to live in an are where the power has been out for nearly two months.  It is a fascinating read which you can find here.  Some of the highlights:

• headlamps with lots of spare batteries are a good thing.
• generators are great...for a while...until fuel gets scarce.  Consider getting a solar-powered generator.
• it goes without saying that a major power outage--with bad infrastructure to begin with--on an island far from the mainland makes things infinitely worse.
• politics gets in the way of things being done quickly and correctly.
• there is kind of a cell network up now. Note that if calls can't go through, texts often can.
• eventually things like stores and offices may get power first but that leaves many many neighborhoods still in the dark.  And it really is dark at night.  Candles are in high demand.
• laundry is being done in buckets, "washboards have become a hot commodity".
• the writer of this piece as well as many people in Puerto Rico who have been interviewed on TV have pointed out that most people were not prepared for this sort of disaster (many didn't have food or supplies put aside for even a few days!).
• cold baths/showers are the norm.
• home invasions are a big concern and looters have been stealing generators.
• on the other hand, people who try to protect their generator by running it in the house can kill themselves and their entire family due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• improperly wiring generators into your household electrical system can also be dangerous.
• if you have an ample supply of wood, a wood stove is a very good investment.
• hoarding of food and water deliveries is a thing (as it is in other disasters as well).
• basic preparedness things are important: have cash on hand and savings in the bank, stockpile food, water, and fuel.  A gas camp stove is a good thing to have as well.
• the first few weeks you may not be able to access your money in the bank so have plenty of cash stored (safely) at home.
• canned food is the food of choice due to not having refrigeration.  Sterno fuel is also good to have on hand.
• some people still can go to work everyday, many others have lost their jobs (due to businesses closing).
• having guns for protection is a good idea.
• there was a long thread about the best kind of hard alcohol and spirits to have on hand.  Not a bad idea IMHO.
• garbage service also gets put on hold so imagine the piles of trash stacking up.
• at first people were helpful and pulling together, after a month of so with no improvement people started to get not so nice.
• deaths from diseases (public health related) as well as suicide are spiking.
• standing in long lines for food, water, and fuel (as well as getting there which could be hours from home) has been a challenge.
• people need non-electrical things to do to pass the time (play an instrument, read, etc).
• price gouging is a thing as well, especially right after the disaster hit.

All of these things should give you a heads-up on things to plan and prepare for before a disaster hits your area.

Power Outage

The power went out at my house today.  While where we used to live it was no big deal if the power went out (common, especially during winter storms) this was the first time we have had a power outage since moving to Las Vegas.  Here’s what happened…

• Power zapped off then on then off.  And it stayed that way.
• No power means no internet at the house so used my cell phone to access the internet.
• Checked the energy company’s website for power outages (none were immediately reported) so I went ahead and reported my address as an outage.
• Checked back about ten minutes later and an outage of about 2000 customers was reported in my area.
• Checked the local emergency incidents page on Facebook and noted others were having the same problem.
• Enjoyed the absolute silence in the neighborhood (unusual in Vegas, especially in the summer when everyone has their AC on).
• Decided to write out a draft of this post (my laptop was still charged).
• Picked up the phone to get some more info and the internet wasn’t working on it (either the battery packs on the internet data antennas in the area were dying or too many neighbors were trying to use the same internet connection).
• Tried to call the spouse who was out to lunch with friends and calls wouldn’t go through.  The message said there was no cellular network available.  This situation is going to require a redundancy plan.
• Moved upstairs to my office and “ta da” got a signal for my phone.
• Was able to get online on my phone and got an email from the energy company saying the outage would last another few hours.
• Broke out the emergency radio.  Half of the AM stations (where most local talk radio resides) are in Spanish.  Good thing I speak Spanish?  It isn’t a big outage so no info on the radio about it.
• Not too worried about not having AC (it’s less than a hundred degrees today which is good).  Plus if it gets too hot I can always remove myself to a casino.
• Am slightly worried about the fish.  Their air pump isn’t working and I’m wondering how long it will be until they become hypoxic. 
• Sat on the deck and read a book that I had on my tablet (I charge it each morning as well).
• Power came on two hours earlier than expected.

What worked:

• Making a habit of keeping my electronics (cell, tablet, laptop) charged.  I also have a power inverter for my vehicle that I can use to charge electronics if needed.
• Using my cell data to access information.  Very useful.
• Water (no problem), food (plenty of no-cook and easy to cook food, no problem), cooking (multiple redundancies, no problem)
• Could have easily evacuated if needed (have vehicle at the ready and the outage was in a limited area)
• Being able to report a power outage online was good (I wouldn’t have wasted my time waiting on hold to talk to an actual person about it)

What didn’t work:

• We don’t have a generator which, during a long-term outage would have been nice (the fish survived anyway).
• Cell service was iffy (in an emergency like needing to call 911 this would have been a problem)
• I don’t get bored by myself but for a family, a long-term outage would have led to dire boredom without access to the internet.

Preppin for a Wind Storm

Wind storms are pretty common around here. The Weather Service issued a high wind warning for our area this afternoon which said we may have winds of up to 60 miles per hour tomorrow morning. Most people don't worry too much about wind storms but when winds get fairly high for a sustained period of time you can often end up with power outages, trees down (and the ensuing damage that can cause to homes and roads), and even injuries and deaths. Here's what we have done to get ready for the storm:

• Charge the cell phones in case the power goes out.
• Bring in the deck chairs and garbage cans so they don't fly away.
• Things that I would check if I didn't already know that we were set: food (lots), water (gallons and gallons), flashlights (strategically placed as usual), batteries (plenty). Heating is not an issue because it isn't very cold at this time of year.
• Cancelled a meeting with a client (the meeting would have required that I travel by ferry to meet them and in high winds the ferries won't run and I don't feel like getting stuck somewhere hours away from home). Meeting was rescheduled with no problem.
• Other changes I may make in the morning: I may cancel my morning walk/jog because it is seriously unsafe to be outside in high winds, not because of the wind but because of falling trees and flying debris. Ditto or driving (because of the tree/flying stuff issue, driving is equally unsafe).

Well that's about it. Should the power go out, it will probably be for a short duration so I am not worried about the food in the freezer at this point. Basically we will probably be holed up in the house for a day or so, enjoy some reading or other tasks that do not require the use of power, and then get ready to clean up the mess after the storm passes.

Power Outage

Last night, the power went out. This was the first outage of the season and a good reminder to be prepared for a power outage as this is one of the most common types of "disasters" to affect people. Here's how to be prepared for a power outage in order of importance:

1. Have flashlights and extra batteries. There should be a flashlight in each room or your house and a flashlight for each member of your household. When it comes to having NO power and NO light, sharing one flashlight among family members is virtually impossible--each person has certain tasks to do which require light so make sure each person has a flashlight. Since both the spouse and I know where the flashlights are, it was no problem to move around the family room, in the dark, to find the flashlight. Then we used the light from the flashlight to move throughout the house so that each of us could get own own flashlights (we keep our personal flashlights under each of our side of the bed). I don't much care for candles but will use them as a last resort since they are much more likely to cause a fire than a flashlight.
2. Keep your house clean. Fortunately our home is always clean and orderly. In the pitch black (the power went off in the evening after the sun had gone down) you don't want to break your neck from tripping over things as you search for your flashlight.
3. Have a phone. You will need either a charged cell phone or a land line phone which plugs into the phone jack (not the kind that requires power such as cordless phones that have a message recorder attached to it). In the event that you need to call the power company to alert them to the outage or you need to call 911 for help, phones of the cordless variety or the VoIP variety, will not work without power.
4. Heat is nice to have. During a power outage, many people lose their source of heat (ie: electric heaters, forced air systems, etc). Depending on how cold it is outside is how critical having heat in your home will be. If possible, have dry wood for the fireplace or wood stove on hand for these occasions. If you don't have a way to burn wood for heat, pile everyone in the same room with a lot of blankets, and close the door to keep body heat in the room. For longer term outages during very cold weather, break out the portable kerosene heater if you have one. If you have no other source of heat, you may want to seek shelter in a hotel, with friends or family, or at a community shelter set up for this purpose.
5. Got news? For longer term power outages, you will probably want a source of news and information. Since the outage occurred later in the evening last night, we just went to bed a bit earlier than usual. If this had been a day long or multi-day event, we would have wanted more information about the outage. For these instances, consider keeping a battery-powered or wind-up radio on hand. You can also get news if you can connect through the internet through your cell phone, and those new, portable, digital TVs look promising as well.
6. Got entertainment? Ditto the above statement. If the power goes out in the evening, you can always just go to bed early and catch up on your sleep. If it is an all day or multi-day event, you may want to have some non-powered sources of entertainment on hand. It's amazing how much we have come to count on powered things for work/entertainment/information/connecting with others. When the power goes out, so does your TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, FaceBook page access, internet, home phone...basically the things that make up 95% of your social life/entertainment options. I like having a nice collection of books on hand for these occasions. We also keep board games and cards on hand to keep everyone entertained during such events. Note that going outside for a walk during the wind storm that knocked your power out is not a good way to entertain yourself. With trees and power lines falling, it is a good way to end up injured or worse!
7. Food may be an issue. Depending on how long the power has been out, eventually food will become an issue. There really is no need to break out the grill/other portable cooking device for a day-long power outage. People survive daily on sandwiches so it shouldn't be a problem to whip up something quick and easy to eat. For multi-day power outages, you will want to devise a plan for your refrigerated and frozen food so it won't go bad. Longer term cooking can be accomplished (outside!!) on a gas grill or barbecue. On a side note, even though your water system will usually work during a power outage (unless you have a deep well with a motor), you always want to have bottled water on hand. This is even more important if you can't access your well water during a power outage.
8. Gas appliances are nice to have. I've lived in all electric houses, and houses with gas appliances and during a power outage, gas rocks. Even if we don't have power, we have hot water and the ability to cook on a gas-powered stove.
9. Do you need a generator? When my son moved to a very rural location, we gave him our generator. He has small kids to take care of and a much higher likelihood of losing power on a regular basis. Where we live, since it is relatively close to the city, we are never without power for more than a few days at the most so we haven't felt the need to replace the generator. Having a generator for power outages depends on each individual situation. If you have someone at home who is on a ventilator, for example, and they would die without electricity, having a generator should be at the top of this list. If you live where power is restored rather quickly when it goes out, you may want to invest your money for survival preps elsewhere. If you do choose to have a generator, be sure it is #1 hooked up correctly so you don't electrocute yourself or someone else, #2 vented correctly so you don't pass out or die from carbon monoxide fumes, and #3 have plenty of fuel on hand to keep the thing going.

Power Outage

The power was out for a few hours yesterday due to a wind storm. This is a sure sign that fall is here and a good reminder to get ready for outages of longer duration which are likely to occur in the fall and winter. Here's some things to consider (which I wrote out via pen and paper because like I said, there was no power to blog about it!):

• No TV. When the power goes out, your first inclination is to turn on the TV to see what is going on. However without power, you have no TV. I do have a small battery operated TV which we use for just these types of outages however it is an older TV and will not receive a signal now that TV broadcasting has switched to digital. On my "to buy" list is a small battery-operated TV which picks up digitally broadcast television signals.
• No internet. When the power is out, there is no internet either. I can access the internet on my cell phone but it isn't like I would surf the web this way.
• No computer. Actually all of my computers these days are laptops so I can still use the computer (sans internet) however if you have kids that are ALWAYS on the computer, losing power then running out of batteries on your laptop may be an issue.
• No phone. Since my phone service runs through the internet, I had no phone available when the power went out either. I used my cell phone to call and report the outage (always keep your cell phone charged up). Of course if you have a land line telephone (the wired phone type, not the wireless phone) you should still be able to plug it into the wall and get a phone signal even without electricity.
• No news. Being an affirmed news junkie, it is spookily quiet when the power goes out. I do have a battery operated radio in our stores of emergency supplies but was too lazy to dig it out for what I thought would be a short-duration outage. Note to self, get a small, battery operated radio and keep it in the house.
• No chores. Saturday is usually chore day when laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the car, and other house work gets done. Without power, these chores didn't get done.
• No fridge or freezer. Actually the food kept just fine, but I had to remind myself to not open the doors and peruse the contents of the fridge looking for a snack so that the cold air would stay inside. This wasn't a problem today but for a long-term outage, food preservation options would need to be kept in mind (and/or breaking out all of the coolers and finding ice then transferring the contents of the fridge to them.
• No cooking. No stove, oven, microwave, blender for my morning smoothie, or toaster. An excellent reason to make sure your stored emergency food doesn't need to be baked, cooked, or microwaved. We do have a gas grill that would have sufficed for cooking but again, this was a short term outage.
• No iron, electric razor, or hair dryer. Funny how you use these things automatically each morning when getting ready for work but never really think about what you would do without them. Fortunately, it wasn't a work day today.
• The hard-wired smoke detectors switched over to battery power then chirped every so often to let me know this. Note, make sure there are fresh batteries in the smoke detectors even if the units are hardwired into the house's electrical system.
• No treadmill. Since it wasn't a week day, this was a non-issue but I generally rely on my treadmill for a hour's worth of exercise each morning. Obviously I could have went outside for a walk, which I actually considered, but rule number one during a windstorm is to stay inside--downed power lines and falling trees are not something to risk by going outside.
• No lights. Actually since the outage happened early in the day and it was sunny outside, this was a non-issue but if it would have happened in the evening, we would have been eating dinner by candlelight. Also, we would not have had working outside safety lights/motion detectors, and each of us would have been carrying around flashlight).
• No heat. Actually this was a non-issue too because the weather, other than being windy, was warm, however if the outage would have happened in the dead of winter, our gas furnace would not have worked because it requires power for the fans. Note to self, get some firewood stored up for winter for use in the fireplace. Also check to make sure that our back-up kerosene heater is in good working order and has plenty of fuel.
• Hot water. Because we have a gas hot water system, showers were still possible. If we would have had an electric hot water system, this would have been an issue during a longer outage.

Obviously none of these problems are insurmountable. The Amish have got along quite well for centuries without electricity, but when it is something that you take for granted as always being available, it can be kind of disconcerting when it isn't available.

I noticed that the generator at the neighbor's house up the road went on almost immediately. They run some type of adult care home which seems to require that their residents have electricity 24/7. No one else in the neighborhood turned on their generators, probably figuring that it would be a short outage, however this is a good reminder to 1) consider getting a generator now, before winter begins and there is a run at the hardware store for these items, 2) be sure that you have plenty of safely stored fuel for your generator, and 3) you know how to safely use your generator.