7 Essential Ways To Prepare For A Power Outage

Last week we had a snow storm roll through with wet, heavy snow, which caused us to lose power. The storm was worse than the forecast had anticipated and I wasn't prepared. Thankfully, we had the power back a few hours later. However, it reminded me to never take having electricity for granted and that there were things I needed to do to be prepared for a possible power outage. There are so many things that we use daily, without giving them a thought, that run on electricity.

1. The toilets-  your toilet won't be able to draw water and refill the tank when you flush. So, you'll need to have a few buckets of water handy to dump in the toilet bowl in order to flush them. If you live in a snowy climate (and there is snow on the ground) you won't have to worry about this, just bring in buckets of snow and let them melt.

2. Flashlights- I know this is a given but it's a biggie. Do you have kids that are scared of the dark? Well, when the power is out that nightlight isn't going to work.

3. Spare batteries- the flashlights don't run on air. 😉

4. Water-  You'll need water to drink and most wells or water systems run on an electric pump. Make sure to have at least a few gallons of water on hand.

5. Warm items- this one is a little generic because everyone's heating is a little different. If you don't have a wood stove you'll be without heat when the power goes out. So, if you have a wood stove, make sure you have a lot of wood ready to go. If you don't, make sure you have blankets, warm clothes and/or a place to go that does have heat.

6. Food- when you stock up on food, make sure it's something you can eat without warming it up. Unless you have a wood stove, you can't heat anything up. Stock up on things like bread, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, and fresh fruit/veggies. You can also get some items like yogurt- these will stay good in the refrigerator for a little while. Each refrigerator is  different but usually if you keep the door closed,as much as possible, it'll stay cool for 12-24 hours. If it's cold outside you can also put some of your stuff outside in the snow to keep it good longer. Or you can put some snow in a cooler & put your refrigerated stuff in with it.

7. Fully charge your electronics. If you know a storm is coming make sure everything has a fully charged battery. You'll need to be able to look online to check the status of getting power back on and you'll need your phone if you have to call emergency services for some reason.

and a note to lactating moms: make sure your baby eats from both breasts, even if you have to pull him off one to latch onto the other. Remember, your breast pump won't work and not emptying your breasts will become painful.