Power outages are not all that uncommon, and they happen more in locations that don't have the most stable power connections. Since we rely a lot on electricity, some of the basic functions we are used to may not be available to us, and it has been there all the time that we might not even notice a change.
1. Avoiding Food Spoilage
Some foods that don't require to be placed in cold storage can survive being room temperature for a day or two, maybe even a week. However, there are things to worry about like meats and sometimes dairy, which need to be refrigerated at all times.
When the power is out, you can temporarily place it in a cooler as it has better insulation. You can purchase ice from the store to keep it cool and even use salt to delay the melting of the ice as it lowers the freezing point of water.
2. Alternative Lighting
Depending on the time of the outage, you might need to find an alternative light source right away. It would be awfully difficult to move around if you can't see a thing, and it might lead to incidents that are harder to resolve due to the lack of electricity.
During the day, make sure you already have enough light sources like lamps or flashlights before it gets dark. When it happens at night, you can use easily accessible light sources like smartphones as most have flashlight features.
3. Turning Electronics Off
Before the power is restored, make sure you have already turned off or unplugged your electronics, especially the sensitive ones. Once the electricity comes back, you may face a power surge that can damage your devices.
It's not just computers and TVs that will be affected. Make sure you also unplug electronics such as game consoles, fans, microwaves, and anything else that requires to be plugged in. If you don't want to unplug everything every time an outage happens, you can purchase surge protectors.
4. Being Ready with First-Aid
A lot can happen in a power outage, especially since people won't have the utilities they have been used to. That means that people could get into accidents trying to set up a generator, or hit their heads hard trying to feel their way in the dark.
It's likely that nothing bad would happen except boredom from the lack of mainstream entertainment like social media or streaming services, but it's always better to have and not need it than need it and not have it.
5. Checking Your Neighbors
If there's a power outage, it's more than likely that your neighbors are experiencing it too. It's best to check on them if they need anything or if they will be able to survive the outage, depending on how long it will be.
If your neighbors are elderly, they might need your help more than you think, especially if they failed to prepare for not having power for a period of time. You can ask them if they just need assistance or if you need to share your supplies with them.
