Tis the season. Throughout most of the country, Winter is notorious for provoking power outages. Most often caused by storms and accidents, power blackouts can wreak havoc on our health and safety. Freezing pipes, spoiled food, hampered communications, and exposure to extreme temperatures are among the serious threats that can that can befall you during a power outage. The American Red Cross offers advice to make a power outage a little less frustrating. Some smart tips include:
- Fill your car’s gas tank in advance if there’s forewarning of a storm.
- Download an NOAA radio app to your phone. This is an automated network of stations broadcasting 24 hour weather information from a nearby source.
- If power outages are common in your area, consider purchasing a generator to power the most critical equipment in your home.
- Use flashlights, not candles. This one might seem obvious but it’s not uncommon for fires to occur during blackouts, caused by forgotten candles.
- Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when power returns to normal.
The Red Cross provides a power outage safety checklist for download here.
Take a look at the short video below for additional safety tips.
Video: A safety plan for loosing power
For your convenience we’ve provided a transcript directly below the video.
Video Transcript: A safety plan for loosing power
Welcome to Today’s Home Update, I’m John.
When you’re the victim of an extended power outage, safety issues become more serious. Consumer Reports suggests taking the following steps.
- Put it on paper – Transfer critical data from you cell phone like phone numbers, banking information and passwords to paper before your battery runs out.
- Use gas if possible, to cook food before it spoils. Provided your home hasn’t suffered any damage, it probably still safe to cook on your gas range. However, you’ll need to light the burner with a match or lighter. Or, use your gas grill. (author’s note: NEVER use an outdoor grill, gas or charcoal, indoors, they both emit toxic quantities of carbon monoxide. Using an outdoor grill in the house or garage can kill you.)
- Food in your fridge can maintain a safe temperature for about four hours. A full freezer should stay cold for about forty-eight hours, and a half-full freezer for twenty-four hours. (author’s note: after these time periods food may make you ill and should not be consumed.)
- Follow proper guidelines when using generators. Not using a generator properly puts you at high risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Operate the generator as far from the house as possible, at least 20 feet, and direct the exhaust away from doors and windows. If you don’t have a generator, unplug appliances. When power lines are damaged there can be a spike or surge in the line. Unplugging appliances prevents damage from the power surge when power is restored.
Thanks for watching Today’s Home Update, see you next time.
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Bill Salvatore / Arizona Elite Properties
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