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You're enjoying a quiet night in watching your favourite show when all suddenly goes dark. The lights go out, the television shuts off, and the all suddenly becomes silent. You're enveloped in darkness, and the silence is deafening.
You look out the window. The entire block is dim. You listen to the rustling of leaves, a dog barking, but nothing else. One by one, you see small flickers of candlelight illuminating neighbours' windows. The power just went out.
A power outage can happen any moment, in any place, for a number of extensive reasons: an ageing and unstable power grid, freak weather havoc brought on by climate change, simple human mistake.
When the power goes out, the immediate effects will be felt at home. The lights will not turn on, the refrigerator goes hot, the TV display stays a suspended black. But as the hours drag on, and the backup generator systems begin to fail, life as you know that it grinds to a halt. Trains will stop running, mobile phone support is no more available, automated teller machines prevent dispensing money, the city water supply dries up since the emergency generators powering water pumps run out of fuel.
Whether or not a power outage is expected or not, it's important to prepare yourself for what comes after the electricity supply stops. Most power outages last only for two or three hours, but what happens if there's no electricity for a day or two, or even longer?
In 2003, more than 10 million people in Ontario, Canada and 45 million individuals in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and Ohio were without power for two days when the Northeastern power grid collapsed. While electricity was restored in most regions within two weeks, in some locales it took more than 5 times before the power came back.
Here are a few basic safety tips and pointers for preparing for a power outage.
Before the power goes out
If you do not have an emergency kit, then now is the best time to prepare one. A fundamental emergency supply kit must have food, water, batteries, hand crank or battery radio, flashlight, first aid kit, tissue paper, plastic or garbage bags, can opener, basic tools and local maps. If you currently own one, restock or supplement your emergency supply.
Prepare emergency charging systems for your essential mobile devices, like large-capacity power banks, solar chargers, and hand crank chargers. Should you have a car, you may use a car phone charger to recharge your phone when the power goes out.
Fully charge all important devices like cellular telephones and laptops. If possible, switch to battery saver mode to maximise the battery life of your device. For cellular phones, keep a prepaid telephone card or two handy in case of emergencies.
Buy ice in bulk or suspend plastic containers and bottles filled with water. These help keep your food and medication cold during a power outage.
Maintain your car's petrol tank complete as petrol stations require electricity to power the pumps. You may keep extra petrol in authorized containers when the tank dries up.
Invest in a generator to power important appliances within your property. There are a lot of generators for sale online, and some are designed especially for home use.
Maintain an amount of cash on hand before the electricity goes out. Automated teller machines prevent dispensing money once their backup power fails. Stores also can not process credit cards with no power.
When the power goes out
Once the electricity goes out, the water pumping stations will follow soon after. Fill all clean containers with water. Fill the bathtub too with water used for cleaning and hygiene. Be certain that you seal the bathtub drain using duct tape as the water can seep out if the drain is not that tight.
Use flashlights, stainless steel or chemical glow sticks for emergency lighting. Only use candles as a final resort, if other choices aren't available or have been exhausted.
Refrain from frequently opening the fridge and freezer doors once the power is out. If left alone, a fridge may keep its temperature for approximately 3-4 hours, and a freezer for approximately 48 hours. You want to maximise the cooling capacities of your fridge and freezer.
Try to stay cool in case the weather is hot. Go to an open space like a park or the beach with lots of foliage for cover. If that's not feasible, and you need to remain at home, go to the bottom area of your home like the cellar. Wear loose and light clothing. Drink plenty of water.
If you reside in a spot with a cold climate, then keep yourself warm by wearing layers of thick clothing. Do not burn charcoal or wood for heating and cooking inside. Burning generates carbon monoxide, an odourless, colourless toxic gas.
Disconnect all appliances, particularly sensitive electronics like computers, from their power outlets to protect them from sudden power surges.
