It's Easy Being Green

As I talked about yesterday, I’m not sure most people heed warnings and prpeare themselves to be without essential services like power and water for extended periods of time.  The devastating ice storm here in Indiana and Kentucky has pushed the idea to the forefront of my mind because I’ve seen firsthand how people have reacted.  It’s always reactionary it seems.  Most people just don’t prepare themselves.

So what should you do in the event of a blackout?  The Red Cross offers up some simple tips that you should remember or jot down in a special disaster book somewhere in your home that you can refer to.

1. They recommend only using flashlights for lighting and not candles because of the fire danger.  Obviously if you take careful precautions, candles can be a good source of light in an emergency so be smart about it.

2.  Turn off electrical equipment you were using when the power went out.

3.  Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer.  This will help ensure the cold air stays in.  When it comes to packing the items in your freezer, the more densely it’s packed the more cold it will have to keep itself frozen for awhile.

4.  If you have a generator don’t run it inside your home.  Three people died in Louisville last week from carbon monoxide poisoning because they kept the genrator running inside.  Also, unless you have a full-sized backup generator hooked up by an electrician, make sure you don’t wire your generator into your home wiring.  It can send a charge down the line away from your house and actually jolt an electrical worker when they touch the lines.

What about steps you can take before the blackout hits?

5.  Always make sure to have flashlights and fresh batteries for those flashlights on hand.

6.  Buy a battery powered or even better hand crank powered radio to listen for important information.

7.  Keep at least a gallon of drinking water on hand per person.  Even more will help your family last longer if the outage is prolonged and water cannot be pumped in your area.

8.  Have a small supply of food

Have you ever gone through an extended blackout for a day or more?  Share your experience with us and tell us challenges you faced without power and how you got through them.

Popularity: 2% [?]