How To Make Sure Your Home is Safe
and Prepared for Power Outages

You could be sitting at home eating dinner with your family, or you could be in the middle of taking a hot shower during a cold winter evening. No matter how you put it, power outages are no fun. Between scrambling for the right thing to pack, or looking for an extra flashlight in the dark, dealing with power outages always comes with a whole set of challenges.

Whether you’re in the middle of something important, or doing nothing at all, there’s never a right time or place for a power outage to happen. This is why it is so important to make sure you are prepared for one if and when it happens. Planning ahead and having a few steps in place is going to save you time, headache, and potentially save lives and prevent spending money on damage that could be avoided.

Below is a list of some of the most significant things you can do to make sure you are prepared in the case of an emergency power outage. While this might not be an exhaustive list, it’s based on what are the most common issues and prevalent solutions to outage preparedness and mitigation.

Preparing for a power outage

1. Stay in the know

The very first thing to do is make sure you are up to date with what is going on around you. This means watching the news, reading the local paper, keeping up with the latest weather reports, and anything else that helps you stay informed. Knowing what is going to happen beforehand is one of the easiest ways to make sure you and your household is ready.

In the case that you need to evacuate, do so with enough time in advance. It is better to be able to safely come home after a false alarm, than to feel anxious and scrambling for things in the heat of the moment.

2. Have an emergency bag

Every person has different needs. The last thing you need is to have to scramble for basic essentials or medical supplies in the middle of an outage. Things to include in your emergency bag are medical supplies, non-perishable foods, a change of clothing that is appropriate for the weather in your region, and anything else specifically catered to your needs.

Things to include in your emergency bag:

  • Water
  • Additional clothing
  • Matches and things to start a fire
  • Medical supplies
  • Non-perishable goods
  • Blankets and pillows
  • Batteries of various types
  • Phone charger and extension cord
  • Pet supplies, food and leash
  • Any other personal items to help cope with stress or anxiety

    3. Make an emergency plan

    Making an emergency bag and a safety plan go hand in hand. Creating a plan ahead of time allows you to make sure that the needs of everyone in your household is addressed accordingly.

    Longer power outages come with their set of discomforts. Especially when it comes to dealing with outages during intense weather. Though the average house can maintain room temperatures for about 8 to 12 hours, in the event of an outage that is longer in duration, that amount of time can seem like nothing at all. With this in mind, read below for some tips on how to prepare based on season.

    In the case that you have children or are a pet owner, it is even more of a responsibility that you have an emergency guideline to dealing with an outage. From toys to medicine to diapers, making sure you have everything they need, is going to save you the time and energy of not knowing what to pack because you are running on a time crunch and everything is everywhere.

    For winter:

  • Avoid drinking coffee or alcohol
  • Close off any openings and entryways like doors or windows with blankets or towels
  • Layer up with loose and comfortable clothes
  • Remain in one conglomerated space as much as possible, while keeping doors to other areas shut
  • Make a tent around your bed or mattress to keep the heat inside

    For summer:

  • Cover up the sun’s rays with towels, blankets, and anything else you have lying around
  • Heat rises; make sure to stay in the lowest room of the house
  • Take cold baths or showers to help preserve your body temperature
  • Make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors remain shut to keep food from spoiling

    4. Have alternative light sources handy

    You may not know how long it will take for the power to come back on. So investing in alternative options for power and light would greatly benefit you. Flashlights and a few extra sets of batteries are never a bad idea. A lot of newer flashlights are rechargeable, and one of the ultimate security measures to have in place would be to invest in a generator for the house.

    How to stay safe while using a generator:

  • Keep generator in outdoor areas
  • Avoid using at a distance any closer than 20 feet from your home
  • Make sure everything inside the house is switched off before turning on the generator
  • Keep doors and windows closed during usage to avoid carbon monoxide exposure
  • Only conduct maintenance like repairs or refueling when the generator is off and cool
  • Make sure you plug any of the generator’s wires or cables into professionally installed outlets

    5. Make sure your home has working smoke detectors

    Something that many people may not know about, is that a lot of homes might be at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. In the case of a power outage, this issue may be exacerbated when cut off from electricity. Luckily many of these rely on battery power as a backup. One quick and simple fix to this is setting up a reminder on your phone to replace the batteries on smoke detectors every six months.

    6. Think ahead for medical needs

    Every person has a different set of health concerns. Every family (including their pets) has a whole list of specific medical needs. Make sure to include medical supplies in your emergency plan, getaway bag, and with relatively easy access. Planning ahead with regards to the household’s medical needs can help save a life or an expensive trip to the hospital.

    7. Keep the car tank full

    Need to make an emergency getaway? Want to go to stay somewhere else until the power comes back on? Then definitely make sure to keep the gas tank full, or have a reserve tank at home filled up so you can at least drive over to the nearest gas station. Ensuring that your vehicle’s gas tank is full is never a bad idea. Knowing that you can safely and freely transport yourself and your family adds a new layer of security to dealing with an outage.

    8. Add surge protection to your home

    Surge protection is there to make sure that you are covered for any damage that takes place with your electrical appliances. When the power goes out, you don’t want it to take your phone or laptop with it. With surge protection, you can make sure that the value of your device, along with your access to its content remain intact.

    Things to avoid during a power outage

    After going over what are some of the affirmative forms of action to take, it’s also equally as vital to know what not to do. Let’s take a look.

  • Leave the generator and grill outdoors
  • Wrap any house pipes during winter
  • Keep electrical appliances unplugged when not in use
  • Turn light switches off when unused
  • Avoid taking long and hot showers
  • Do not use the stove to stay warm
  • Stay as far away from any pooling water as possible
  • Preserve your phone’s flashlight only for emergencies

    How do power outages happen?

    Power outages are primarily caused by issues related to climatic disturbances. Some primary examples include extreme weather shifts like strong winds, hurricanes, lightning, storms, earthquakes, fallen trees, animal damage, and electrical issues related to overloaded grids.

    Outside of weather patterns, it’s important to consider what other factors can influence your ability to deal with power outages, like your area overall and the proximity of fire stations or hospitals. Another component which can greatly contribute to the likelihood of there being a power outage in your area is where your home is in relation to government buildings and emergency services. If you live in a rural area, the likelihood of something happening is higher than in an urban neighborhood, for example.

    Although we may not necessarily be able to take very many measures to prevent power outages from occurring, there are things you can do to ensure that your home is safe and ready to tackle them. On top of doing things like making sure you have an emergency plan and having surge protectors in place, the number one thing you can do is have an insurance plan that works for you. Your home, your specific needs, should always come first when determining what type of home insurance you should opt for.

    Additional Resources

    For safety concerns:

  • The Red Cross
  • The CDC
  • Ready.gov

    For Parents:
  • Cleo
  • The Baby Center

    For elderly:
  • Choose Energy
  • Overview

    Hippo Enterprises Inc.


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