What To Do When the Power Goes Out - Part 1

When a winter storm hits your area, there’s always a chance you will lose power. This is a concern no matter where you live. But for folks living in rural areas, on farms, ranches, or homes not serviced by a public utility systems, the problems are compounded.

The best way to limit the problems that come with losing electricity, especially in the winter, is to be as prepared as possible. While it is difficult to plan for every potential crisis that can arise during a winter storm, having a plan in place for the usual or typical issues makes it all that much easier to focus on taking care of the truly unexpected.

In the first post of this three-part series, we are going to look at practical ways to prepare for a power outage, starting with the most obvious and important needs to address: lights, water, and heat.

Before we get started on preparation, we need to think about our first actions.

1. Put a little light on the subject – Even if the power goes out during daylight hours, there are always rooms or closets lacking adequate lighting when there’s no electricity. And, if the power is out for any length of time, you will need light for safety reasons and to take care of necessary tasks. Gather up the flashlights, candles, and/or oil lamps and have them ready.
2. Unplug small appliances, computers, lamps, and turn off the lights in unused rooms and any small heaters to limit the drain on the power when it returns. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. The breakers were tripped to the entire upstairs portion of our house when I forgot to turn off a small wall heater in the master bathroom.
3. Know where your water shut off is in case of frozen pipes that break.
4. Check with the electric company to make sure they are aware of the outage in your area. You may be able to get some general timeline of when the power will be restored.

Lights -We have all experienced being in the dark during a power outage. Everyone scrambles around looking for candles and flashlights.

Even though we know the importance of having working flashlights available, this is often the time we discover the batteries are dead or too weak to provide useful light.

One thing I do is keep a “battery bucket.” It has a collection of new batteries in various sizes. My bucket comes in handy throughout the year. But it is most beneficial during a power outage. Everyone knows where it is and it’s easily accessible, even in the dark.

We keep several flashlights strategically placed throughout the house and check them periodically to make sure they are working. Flashlights come in a variety of sizes and “strengths.” Some of the smallest provide the best light. Consider rechargeable battery packs that you can keep plugged in until needed. Some people like to use solar chargers for extended outages.

Candles are another source of light and can be an inexpensive, temporary alternative to a flashlight. There are safety concerns with using candles as a light source. It is important to consider when and where they are used.

Scented candles are popular home décor items so they are convenient and easy to locate when the lights go out. But too many different scents can be overwhelming. And moving about with them could get messy. However, candles don’t rely on batteries and should be part of your preparedness kit. Just make sure you include matches or a lighter.

Old-fashioned oil lamps and camping lanterns also provide light and they do put off a little heat. Like candles, they can be a safety concern if not used properly or when carried around. That’s why we prefer to use them in a room where they stay put, in a location where they are not likely to get knocked over. We have two or three we use in our kitchen and bathrooms. You can purchase oil to refill the lamps at just about any hardware store.

Water -To ensure you have enough water to get by, use the basic rule of at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. This would include water for drinking, cooking, and for washing up.

Many people don’t realize that if you live in a rural area, you are likely to have your own well and septic system. When electricity goes down your lights aren’t the only thing that go out. Your well and septic system will not work either. It’s important to have a backup water supply.

I keep at least 10 store bought gallon jugs of water on hand at all times. I also have two cases of water bottles available. In our case, water we store out of our faucets develops a funny taste and is not very palatable. It works fine for cooking, watering the dogs and cats, and for washing up. So I do keep an additional five jugs of water from our kitchen faucets in clean, sanitized containers.

Some people like to fill their bathtub with water for flushing the toilets. This water can also be heated for cleaning up. But sometimes power goes out unexpectedly. Rather than keeping our bathtub constantly full of water, I prefer to keep three or four buckets of water and setting them in the bathtub. It sounds strange and isn’t very pretty, but it’s easier for me to manage. Either way, having this water available ahead of time will make a power outage easier on the whole family.

If you have livestock, it is important to keep the water tanks full. That means checking them daily and topping them off. Tank heaters are a blessing when the power is on. But if you lose electricity, you may need to chop ice several times a day to allow your animals access to water. It seems weird, but cows and horses (and probably other livestock as well) drink a lot of water when temperatures fall.

There are “non-electric” alternatives to a well-pump. A hand pump might work for a well that’s not too deep. And if you get enough sun, there are solar-powered pumps available. However, the sun may not be out and shining during the winter months, especially during a storm. A gas or propane generator is another good option if you can afford one. It will require plenty of fuel and knowledge of how to hook it up to your electrical system.

 Heat - Along with water, having a heat source is necessary for maintaining comfort and safety during a power outage.

Many people living in rural areas have a woodstove or a fireplace. These are wonderful resources for keeping your home warm and can offer a way to cook and heat water. If you are fortunate to have one, just make sure you can access dry firewood to keep it going.

We had a pellet stove which unfortunately required electricity to keep the fan going. The stove would not work without it. We had a small generator which worked perfectly for this. We ran a heavy-duty extension cord through the doggie door and plugged it in. It kept the house warm for three days during one winter power outage.

There are propane heaters made for indoor use. This may be a good option for people without a woodstove or fireplace. Just make sure it is safe for indoor use and is properly vented. And you will need to store a supply of propane.

To retain as much heat as possible inside your home use draft stoppers around doors, and rugs to keep the floor warm. Heavy curtains or blankets on windows can help with heat loss at night. But during the day, you may want to take advantage of the light and any sun that’s available to heat up your space. You may decide to keep the curtains open during daylight hours.

One thing I do when we lose electricity is close off doors to rooms we won’t be using and have no water source like bedrooms, closets, storage rooms, or my office area. Heating only the rooms you absolutely need to is a more efficient way to keep warm.

It is very important to keep heat in the kitchen, bathrooms and the laundry room to avoid the potential of freezing pipes. Open up the doors under sinks to allow heat to find its way there.

It may seem obvious, but dressing in layers will help retain body heat while a couple of extra blankets will keep you warmer at night. Keep those blankets handy for snuggling up on the couch too.

Once you’ve taken care of the lights, water, and heat, it will be time to consider other tasks that may need your attention. Or you may start thinking about what you’re going to eat and how you’re going to keep yourself entertained. We’ll take a look at those things in Part 2 of the series about emergency preparedness focusing on when the power goes out.

(Download your free "Uh Oh! The Power's Out" preparedness checklist here.)

In the meantime, stock up on batteries, candles, and water. Check to make sure your flashlights work, and you have fuel readily available for your heat source.

Being prepared for “no electricity” days can make it more of an adventure than a scary, worrisome event.