Power

Have you ever thought about what will happen to your home when the power grid fails, or even how long it’ll take for it to come back on? If so, then you’re probably already a prepper! Even if not, there are many things you can do to prepare for a grid failure in your area.

Whether it’s a hurricane or an earthquake that knocks out the power lines or there is a terrorist attack in town, there are certain steps you need to take before everything goes dark.

This article will discuss what those steps are and how they can impact your life during an emergency. These tips will help in ensuring you don’t have to suffer from a blackout.

Why Power Failure Preparedness Is Important

A power grid failure is a real worry for many preppers. The power grid can fail at any time, and it happens in third-world countries all the time. While you may think that such an event would only occur in third-world countries, recent events have shown that it can also happen in the United States.

Power outages are common due to storms and other natural causes (such as lightning strikes), but they can also be caused by man-made problems such as terrorism or sabotage of equipment.

If there was ever a serious cyber-attack on our infrastructure that disrupted the flow of electricity, we could experience a long-term power outage or, even worse—a complete collapse of our entire energy infrastructure!

What Can Result In A Power Outage

There are a number of causes for power outages. The most common are:

Weather – Storms, hurricanes, and high winds can knock over power lines causing blackouts.

Accidents – Heavy snow or ice accumulation can cause tree limbs to fall on power lines leading to a blackout.

Human error – A utility worker may accidentally cut a power line while working on it which leads to an outage in that area.

Power plant failure – This includes nuclear reactor meltdowns like those at Fukushima after Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster but also includes smaller accidents such as equipment failures that lead to shutdowns in existing coal-burning plants located near your home or business location without warning, even if these plants are still operational elsewhere throughout their region due to limited supply capacity.

A successful terrorist attack will result in the loss of power for many people and will probably be followed by other problems like food shortages and civil unrest.

Report The Outage

If your power goes out, act quickly. In the event of an outage, report it to your utility company. They will be able to tell you if there are any planned outages in your area and when they expect them to be restored. You can also use the outage reporting site that many power companies offer or call their customer service number for further information.

If you’re unable to report the outage yourself or there’s a long wait time on hold, you can also contact local news stations and government agencies as well as police departments near where you live and work with requests for additional updates on what’s happening with the outage situation.

What To Do Before During and After A Power Outage

The best way to prepare for a power outage is by putting together an emergency preparedness kit with the following items[1]:

  • Water: You should have one gallon of water per person, per day (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home).
  • Food: You should have nonperishable, easy-to-prepare items (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home).
  • Flashlight: Use a flashlight rather than candles because of the extreme risk of fire.
  • Battery-operated or hand-crank emergency portable radio: A NOAA weather radio is a great option.
  • Battery-powered and -operated fans
  • Extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Medications (seven-day supply) and medical items
  • Sanitation and personal hygiene items
  • Copies of personal documents: Medication list and pertinent medical information, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, and insurance policies are good to have on hand.
  • Cell phone with chargers
  • Family and emergency contact information
  • Extra cash

In addition to this emergency preparedness kit, you should keep a full tank of gas in your car. Lastly, if someone in your household is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining equipment, remember to include backup power in your evacuation plan.

As for during a power outage, the following actions should be taken[2]:

  • Keep food as safe as possible.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Use perishable food from the refrigerator first. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is not opened.
  • Next, use perishable food from the freezer. A full freezer will maintain its temperature for about 48 hours and a half-full freezer will for about 24 hours, as long as the door stays closed.
  • Lastly, use your nonperishable foods.
  • If a power outage continues longer than a day, put together a cooler full of ice for your freezer items.
  • Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.
  • Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics.
  • Turn off or disconnect any appliances, equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out. But be sure to keep on one light so that you will know when the power has turned back on.
  • Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic lights will be out and the roads will be congested.
  • When using a portable generator, connect the equipment that you want to power directly into the outlets on the generator. Don’t connect a portable generator to a home’s electrical system.
  • Lastly, if you are considering getting an emergency home backup generator, get advice from a professional. Make sure the generator is rated for the power you believe you will need. The primary hazards to avoid when using alternate sources for electricity, heating or cooking are carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock, and fire, all of which can kill.

When the power comes back on, take these additional actions to ensure food safety[3]:

  • Do not touch any downed electrical power lines, and keep your family and pets away from them. Report downed power lines to the appropriate officials in your area.
  • Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures above 40°F for two or more hours or that has an unusual odor, color or texture. If you’re not sure whether food is cold enough, you can take its temperature with a food thermometer.
  • Throw away anything that you are questioning. Although some food may look and smell fine, if it has sat out at room temperature for too long, bacteria causing foodborne illnesses can start growing quickly. Some types of bacteria produce toxins that cannot be destroyed by cooking. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
  • If food in the freezer is colder than 40°F and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.

Different Renewable Sources Work Better In Different Areas

BACKUP POWER OPTIONS
  • Backup Generator: Any generator used to supply power during an outage or blackout.
  • Standby Generator: Fully automatic startup. Power a home or business for days or weeks in any weather, including hurricanes.
  • Portable Generator: Not automatic. Needs frequent refueling. Must be set up and connected before each use.
  • Solar + Battery Storage: Solar cells produce electricity in the sunshine. Batteries store power from the grid or solar array.

How To Utilize Renewable Energy Resources

There are many ways to use renewable energy for your home. You can install solar panels on the roof of your house and collect solar power from the sun to heat water, run appliances, and charge batteries. You can also install a windmill or a geothermal system that will generate electricity to power the lights in your house during blackouts.

If you don’t have enough money to buy these systems, then consider buying a generator instead. A generator will allow you to keep all electronics running when there’s an outage in the area where you live and has other applications too, like powering up tools, so they won’t collect dust, as well as heating homes efficiently (if done right).

Another way of using renewable energy is heating up water using other methods such as firewood burning stoves or gas logs fireplaces which are available online at affordable prices these days!

You might want to take precautions if using this method though because it has some risks involved, but overall, it’s much safer than keeping candles on hand just in case something happens with electricity supply lines due to earthquakes or something worse.

Consider Investing In A Blackout Bag

A blackout bag is a small kit that you can keep in your home or car that contains items to help you with survival if the power goes out. The contents of these bags vary, but they generally contain food, water, communications tools, and other items.

The idea is that if something catastrophic happens and you are unable to get out of your house or get home from work, then at least your family has some basic necessities until help arrives.

It’s important to remember that these kits should be kept in easily accessible places (such as under a bed) so that they can be accessed quickly when needed. But you need to make sure that only important people know its location.

You don’t want someone stumbling upon such an important resource and them going through it, leaving you with stuff that may be less helpful.

So how much should you spend on this kit? It depends on how much space/money you have available; however, we would suggest keeping costs under $200 dollars for both adults & children combined (including adults’ packs).

This will allow everyone enough room for their own personal items without having too many duplicates between kits, which could cause confusion later on down the road when trying desperately find something specific amongst piles upon piles of random supplies–thus wasting precious time which could mean life or death during an emergency situation!

Turn Off Non-Vital Electrical Appliances

One of the main things to do when not running on primary electricity sources is to turn off unnecessary appliances. This means the TV, computer, and dishwasher. If you have an oven and microwave, turn them off too. You can also turn off the toaster and coffee maker, as well as any other electrical devices that are not vital.

Some people like to keep their lights on during winter storms because they feel safer when they’re in their homes (or vice versa). However, while you may be feeling secure in your home during a blackout or brownout, there’s no guarantee that everything will stay secure just because you have your lights on!

Keeping them on will make it easier for thieves or looters who spot your house from outside at night. This is not the primary goal of talking about the topic, but it is certainly something to consider.

Turning off non-vital electronics will ensure that your generator, or any other secondary sources of power, will not stop prematurely. This way, you can have maximum power, so you can live in your house comfortably for as long as possible.

Avoid Opening The Refrigerator Again And Again

When you open the refrigerator door, the temperature inside rises. It may not seem like much of a rise, but it can actually be quite significant. If you leave it open for long enough, your food will become warm and spoiled before you can eat it.

This is especially true in a blackout situation where there’s no electricity to keep things cold. In fact, every time you open up your fridge during a blackout situation (and maybe even when there’s power on), make sure to close it right away again! This is especially important if there isn’t anyone around to help you keep track of how often this happens.

Use A Grill Or A Camp Stove For Cooking

Camp stoves are an excellent option for preppers and survivalists because they’re portable, easy to use, and have a variety of uses. They can be taken camping, used in the wilderness as a backup stove, or even used at home if you live in an area where power outages are common.

Camp stoves are also safer than electric stoves in the case of a power outage or emergency situation. If you need to cook food but lose access to electricity due to severe weather conditions such as hurricanes or tornadoes (or even just winter storms), then using your camp stove is much safer than trying to cook on an electric range.

Finally, these compact devices are relatively inexpensive compared with other types of cooking equipment such as electric stoves, etc. So, the investment is really worth it.

Invest In A Non-Electric Heater

If you live in a cold area, such as the northern United States, or any place where temperatures drop below freezing on a regular basis, one of the most important things you can invest in is a non-electric heater.

These heaters are portable and don’t require electricity to function. They’re less safe than their electric counterparts asthe latter does not give off carbon monoxide when using them indoors—the biggest hazard with gas-driven heating devices.

Kerosene heaters are ideal for emergency situations because they’re cheap and easy to find at most hardware stores or online retailers such as Amazon (we recommend this one).

And while we love these handy little machines, there are some precautions that must be observed when using them:

Never use kerosene heaters indoors without proper ventilation. It’s essential to have fresh air circulating around the room so that noxious fumes do not linger too long before dissipating into your home’s atmosphere (they’ll make everyone feel sick!).

You should always open windows whenever possible during operation—and remember, not only does opening windows let fresh air circulate throughout your house, but it also lets the smoke escape outside if necessary!

Don’t Use Generators Indoors

Generators are noisy and can cause hearing damage. Do not use a generator indoors. Carbon monoxide poisoning is another major concern. Generators produce carbon monoxide, which has no odor or color, so it’s particularly dangerous to your health.

If you opt to use a generator indoors, make sure you have it vented properly with openings on different walls and at least one near the floor level, so there won’t be any build-up of carbon monoxide inside the room where you’re running your generator for long periods of time.

Also, ensure that all fuel sources are properly stored away from any heat source like generators or stoves/ovens in case they leak fuel onto hot surfaces or ignite themselves due to static electricity build-up from dust particles rubbing against each other when moving around inside an enclosed space such as one where you are running your generator.

Invest In Portable Light Sources

There are a number of small, portable light sources that can be used when there is a blackout in your area, and you don’t have any other light source.

  • Battery-powered lanterns are great because they provide light and heat, which is useful during the colder months when you don’t have power. They’re also more portable than a regular lantern and won’t break if you drop them on the floor.
  • Portable flashlights are another great option for preppers who want to keep their hands free while still being able to see what’s going on around them. These compact lights come in all shapes and sizes—even as small as an apple! It’s easy to store one or two in various places around your home so that you always have a source of light close at hand when needed most.
  • Headlamps allow for hands-free operation by placing the light source directly on your head instead of having it in one of your hands like regular flashlights do (which can result in less efficiency while performing tedious tasks).

This is a great option for people who want to keep their hands free from important tasks. Plus, they are lightweight, which means wearing them for extended periods of time should not be too much of an issue.

Keep A Stash Of Portable Fans

If you can, keep a stash of battery-operated fans. These will be your best friend during the summer months, especially when power outages are more likely to occur. They’re also great to have on hand in case of emergencies.

When purchasing one, make sure that it comes with batteries and that they function properly. You want to make sure you don’t end up buying an unreliable product that won’t work when you need it the most!

If possible, store your fan in an area where the temperature remains cool (e.g., a closet). This will help prevent any moisture build-up inside, which could cause damage to both you and your device, as well as make it less effective overall by lowering its output capacity over time due to corrosion taking place internally within its components.

Don’t Forget About Keeping Medicines Cool

The most important thing you can do to prepare your medications is to keep them cool. You don’t want to take a medication that has been sitting in high temperatures for hours or even days at a time. This will allow the medicine to lose its effectiveness and make it ineffective when needed.

Use ice packs. An ice pack will help reduce the temperature of any item that it’s placed on. If you want to store medicine bottles in your refrigerator or freezer, wrap them in plastic bags with an ice pack inside of each bag before placing them into their designated area inside of either appliance (do not place hot liquids directly into any appliance). Even if there is no electricity, the ice packs will help keep the medicine potent for a few days.

Keep Yourself Occupied

The most important thing you can do to prepare your medications is to keep them cool. You don’t want to take a medication that has been sitting in high temperatures for hours or even days at a time. This will allow the medicine to lose its effectiveness and make it ineffective when needed.

Use ice packs. An ice pack will help reduce the temperature of any item that it’s placed on. If you want to store medicine bottles in your refrigerator or freezer, wrap them in plastic bags with an ice pack inside of each bag before placing them into their designated area inside of either appliance (do not place hot liquids directly into any appliance). Even if there is no electricity, the ice packs will help keep the medicine potent for a few days.

BLACK OUT BAG KIT

A Black Out Kit (BOK) is a smaller bag cheaper to build, that contains essential items needed during a power outage.
The power goes out and it’s dark. The broader the outage the darker it will be. If it’s a new moon or cloudy add darkness to the already dark.
It will be very handy to have essential items to get you going, get some light on your immediate area and have a few things at your reach.
You will obviously have a list of priorities, if you have children, that may entail making them feel safe. Making sure pets are tucked out of the way so they don’t get under your feet.
You will need to assess your situation and the first thing is to check your safety, determine the cause of the failure, check your breaker box, get the backup generator going, and grabbing the backup gas or solar generator to get the refrigerator and freezer going again.
First things first, there is one vital step required before any of this. You need to see where you are going. In pitch darkness that will be difficult. This is where our Black Out Bag comes into play.
What a Black Out Kit allows you to do is keep a small cache of helpful items in a strategic location that can be quickly and easily accessed.

Why Do You Need One

The power goes out in the middle of the night. You are sleepy and disoriented, so you need to be able to locate a convenient bag that contains essential items designed for this purpose. Grab a light and keep from knocking yourself out by walking into walls while you try to figure out what has happened to the power. Random fire in the middle of the night, reach in, grab an extinguisher, and either put it out or fight your way out of the fire with it. A Black Out Kit holds key solution items only for specific problems associated with lights out. Do not clutter it with items that should be kept in your Bug Out Bag.

What kind of items go in a Black Out Kit? Items like flashlights, emergency tools, anything that would be useful in the event of an emergency.        


Of course, there are more items that you could include, and it will vary from season to season. If you are in the depths of winter, where the possibility of a power outage is increased, you can add items that you may need to stay warm.
In previous articles we reviewed collection of your Car/Office Bag and your Bug Out Bag. You should now, you have your bug out bag on the ready and you’ve squared away your Everyday Carry or your car/office bag. We are working each week to add to your preparation supplies and skills until you are prepared to be ready.
You do not need any special reason to have a Black Out Bag on hand. This is something everyone might need and can use in case of a blackout in your home, your neighborhood or a broader outage. 
First up, a Black Out Kit is going to be cheaper to build than your bug out bag. It will contain only a few items and is smaller, so it is easy to store and takes up little space.
You need a handy light source to see where you are going in pitch darkness and that is where your Black Out Kit comes into play.
It is meant to be a first action device. Grab it, to help you get to your preps, make safety checks, and then go about next steps. Store it in an accessible spot that is easy to grab. A little help to bring calm back into a situation.

Intruder in your home at night

Make a plan – now.  There is no single best strategy.  Some people can climb out a window and run for help…others live or sleep on upper floors and are unable to flee for physical reasons.  If you can safely escape and get help – do it. Even if you have a plan there are many variables that can play out.

You are awakened by a noise downstairs.  More noise.  Someone is in the house!  Your heart pounds…your mind races.  What should you do?  Grab a baseball bat and creep into the hall to investigate?  Call the police and wait?  Try to escape?

 

Be very quiet and listen.  How many intruders are there?  Are they ransacking the house?  Are they making their way toward you? Do not turn on the lights. You know the layout of your house far better than your invader and will have the advantage when navigating it in the dark.

Make a plan – now.  There is no single best strategy.  Some people can climb out a window and run for help…others live or sleep on upper floors and are unable to flee for physical reasons.  If you can safely escape and get help – do it. Even if you have a plan there are many variables that can play out.

You are awakened by a noise downstairs.  More noise.  Someone is in the house!  Your heart pounds…your mind races.  What should you do?  Grab a baseball bat and creep into the hall to investigate?  Call the police and wait?  Try to escape?

Be very quiet and listen.  How many intruders are there?  Are they ransacking the house?  Are they making their way toward you? Do not turn on the lights. You know the layout of your house far better than your invader and will have the advantage when navigating it in the dark.

Confrontation

If the invader enters your hiding space, the element of surprise may be the only advantage you have. Strike them as soon as they enter and do not stop until they are incapacitated.

If you cannot or are not willing to confront your intruder, then remain calm and cooperative if the intruder confronts you.  How you behave in the first 30 seconds can set the tone for all that follows.  When violence does occur, it almost always does within these first few moments.

Speak in as normal a voice as you can.  Make no sudden moves.  Tell him that you will cooperate.  Hold your hands up to shoulder level.  It appears compliant, yet it affords you the ability to have your hands ready for defense.

Avoid direct eye contact.  The intruder may interpret this as aggressive behavior and worry that you’ll be able to identify him later.

The outcome of a break-in depends on the intruders.  Most burglars will flee.

Home invasion robberies – a small but growing trend – can last for hours and are always violent.  They are carried out by thugs who try to intimidate homeowners into divulging safe combinations and bank ATM personal identification numbers, and handling over credit cards that can’t be reported stolen while the owners are being held hostage.

Have a distress code with your burglar-alarm company.  If you are being held and your alarm has been triggered, you can signal trouble when its representative calls to authenticate the alarm.  Your signal might be, “No, I can’t meet you tomorrow.”  Or just don’t pick up the call, so the company will send the police.


The Weapons Options

It’s your right and personal choice to own a firearm and you should.  If you are willing to shoot own a gun, but you cannot fire a weapon at someone, then do not have one. The intruder will simply take it away from you and if they didn’t have a gun before they do now. If you choose to have a firearm you must be trained properly, mentally as well as physically.   You need to keep the gun loaded and nearby for it to be effective.  With children living in or visiting your home you need to have an adequate safe to allow you access and keep the weapon from children.

If you have pepper spray, only use it if you need help to escape.  Facial contact and inhalation of the spray will induce up to 45 minutes of coughing, choking, nausea and temporary blindness.  Even residual fumes can make your hiding place unbearable and can be hazardous to people with respiratory and heart conditions.

Your local police department can tell you if you legally can buy pepper spray in your state and where to learn how to use it.  As with any weapon you must have a plan and be prepared to use it.

This article refers to a typical home break in that is not associated with after disaster event times invasion. Lawless home invasions during a post event will be violent and police will have no authority, no one will be answering 911 calls, and will not be responding to cries for help as the system will be over whelmed.  People will be desperate and enraged and no traditional reasoning will produce expected results.  In that situation you need to stay ahead of the roving gangs or have a security plan that keeps them out.

Conclusion

You can take steps to prepare for power outages and help keep your family safe. By keeping a stash of battery-operated fans, you’ll be able to stay cool during the heat wave. Keeping yourself occupied with games and activities will minimize boredom when there’s no internet or cell phone service available.

Finally, reporting outages early means that if the issue is resolvable, the company will fix the issue for you as soon as possible. Preparing for a blackout is very important and you, as a prepper, need to make sure that you can easily survive through it, regardless of how long it is going to be.