surviving blackouts

8/4/2019 Surviving Blackouts

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A blackout is a complete loss of electrical

power. It can be caused by a storm or a disaster

of some sort, an accident or a problem in the

electrical system.

In the short term, many of us experience power

outages in our homes during the winter seasons, where storms take out some

local power lines. This might mean we are without power for the best part of a

day. In the event of hurricanes, electricity may be cut for a more extended

period of time (1-2 weeks).

But what if some major crisis occurred and left entire countries without

electricity for months or even years? Granted, odds are slim, but just what if it

happened? Our grandparents and maybe our parents might have some ideas,

having possible experienced this during their childhood. The majority of us

wouldn't have a clue.

The reason blackouts are so serious is that we depend on electricity. We need

electrical power to cook our food or to keep it cool, clean our clothes andwake up in the morning. We use it to power our tools, light our homes and

place our fast-food orders. At one time, we did all these things without

electricity, but we would hardly think of doing them manually today. We even

have electric guitars, electric razors and electric pencil sharpeners.

Entire cities run on electricity. Traffic lights, rapid transit, gas pumps are all

electrical. Elevators, cash registers and security systems run on electricity too.

Computers, televisions and business machines must all be plugged in to a

source of electricity. Even wireless devices such as cordless and cellular

phones rely on electricity to be charged. Indeed, power disruptions can stop a

city from working.

Are you prepared for a prolonged power outage? Blackouts can occur in the

summer or winter months and each occurrence can present its own set of


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considerations. Advance planning is your key to keeping your family safe and

healthy during a prolonged blackout.

When the blackout of 2003 struck, many communities across North Americawere without power, water or phone service. Many people don't realize that a

blackout can also disrupt your telephone services, both land and cell. A power

outage can strike anywhere and at anytime, would you be ready? Do you have

the necessary tools to survive a prolonged blackout coupled with phone and

water disruptions?

Millions of people across the continent discovered first hand how unprepared

they were for the effects of a prolonged power outage. An hour or two without

power is an inconvenience, four hours or more can lead to serious problems

for the young, elderly, and homeowner. The key to surviving a prolonged

power outage is to be prepared.

Blackouts that occur in the summer are somewhat easier to handle than a

winter power outage. Most healthy individuals can survive without air

conditioning as long as they have a cool place to retreat to like a basement.

Also, the days are longer so you have a few extra hours of sunlight. A winter

blackout can result in hypothermia and damage to your house due to frozen

pipes.

Such prolonged power outages are a real possibility after a serious hurricane

or winter stormespecially for rural folks who often are last in line to get

their power restored. And given the fragility of our overworked utility grid,

urban dwellers likely won't be exempt from extended blackouts. After all, it

doesn't take much to bring the grid crashing down: In the summer of 1996, a

tree fell on a power line in Idaho, setting in motion a blackout that affected 15

Western states. The truth is an inch of ice may be all it takes to make your

home powerless and potentially unsafe, sending your family to an emergency

shelter at the high school gym or community center.

There are a few things you can do to prepare for a blackout no matter what

time of the year.


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Every family should have a constituency plan

in case of a major power outage. Nothing canbe worse than not being able to

communicate with your family members. If

the land and cell lines are jammed, this is a

very real possibility. First consider where

your family members are usually if a

blackout strikes mid-week.

If your children are of school age, the school

will keep them there until transportation orpick up can be arranged. If your children go

to a baby-sitter, arrange for one parent to be responsible for their pick-up and

the other parent to pick up school age children. Once you arrive at home after

picking up family members try and stay put. If you must venture out to pick up

other family members or supplies, leave a note of where you're going and how

long you'll be gone in case you can't be reached by phone.

If you have an electric garage door opener, find out where the manual release

lever is located and learn how to operate it. Sometimes garage doors can be

heavy, so get help to lift it. If you regularly use the garage as the primarymeans of entering your home upon return from work, be sure to keep a key to

your house with you, in case the garage door will not open.

If you have a telephone instrument or system at home or at work that requires

electricity to work (such as a cordless phone or answering machine), plan for

alternate communication, including having a standard telephone handset,

cellular phone, radio or pager. Remember, too, that some voice mail systems

and remote dial-up servers for computer networks may not operate when the

power is out where these systems are located.


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Always make sure that you have enough gas to get yourself home. Many gasstations cannot operate during a power outage -- they need power to operate

the pumps. In 2003, motorists found themselves stranded because they didnt

have enough gas to get home or to wait in traffic.

Some people may use a fuel-operated generator to produce electricity if

power will be out for a long time. If appropriate and feasible, get a generator

listed by Underwriters Laboratories (the generator will carry a label with the

letters "UL" on it).

Some generators can be connected to the existing wiring systems of a house.

But contact your utility company before you connect a generator to house

wiring. Connecting a generator is specifically prohibited by law in some areas,

so you must check with your local utility or fire department first.

To run generators in an emergency, fuel must be safely stored. Generators

need to be operated outdoors to guarantee good ventilation. If you get a

generator, be sure your network is familiar with how to operate it.

If you are home, fill as many plastic containers as possible with water. Youllneed water to consume and wash with. Avoid using containers that will

decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally active

person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments

and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing

mothers and ill people will need more.Fill the bathtub(s) with water also for

this purpose.

Always have a supply of bottled water in storage. A four-person

household can go through a lot of water if there's nothing else to drink. Always make sure you have a bag of ice in the freezer; bagged ice sells

out quickly.

When power goes out, water purification systems may not be

functioning fully. Use bottled water for eating and drinking or follow

these directions to purify tap water:


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- Boil the water vigorously (it should be bubbling and rolling) for 1

minute

- If you can't boil it, add 6 drops of newly purchased liquid householdbleach per gallon of water, stir it well and then let the water stand for 30

minutes before you use it

- You can also use water-purifying tablets from your local pharmacy

Purchase a few rechargeable flashlights or solar powered lights and

keep them charged at all times. Nothing is worse that discovering dead

batteries in a much needed flashlight.

Invest in a radio that operates by manual cranking. Three minutes ofcranking will give you an hour of power.


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One of the most important aspects of a summer blackout is ensuring that your

refrigerator and freezer contents remain cold or frozen. Your freezers

contents will remain frozen up to 24 hours or longer as long you don't open it.

At the onset of a blackout, place a penny on top of a filled ice cube tray. When

the power is restored, if the penny sunk to the bottom of the ice cube tray -

your freezer contents have thawed completely and may hazardous to

consume.

Keep It Cold

To keep your refrigerator contents from spoiling, keep the door closed at all

times. At the onset of the blackout, fill some large bowls with ice cubes and

place one on each refrigerator shelf. This will help keep everything cold

longer. If you need to get something, open the door only wide enough to

retrieve what you need and shut it promptly.

It is also recommended that you have a supply of non-perishable food stored.

Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or

no water. Consider items that are compact and lightweight. Heres a short list:

- Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables- Canned juices, milk, soup


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- High energy foods peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granloa bars, trailmix

- Vitamins, Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons on special diets-

Comfort/stress foods cookies, hard candy, sweetened cerealslollipops, instant coffee, tea bags

To keep your house cool inside, close all curtains and blinds from windows

that face the sun. If it's extremely hot, remain indoors and retreat to a cool

place.

Cooking with the sun

In the absence of electricity the cooking options are limited. There are open

fires fueled by wood or charcoal, dutch ovens or apple box ovens, propaneovens, even clean cookstoves. Enter the advent of cooking without electricity

by using solar cooking and solar cookers.

Cooking with the sun is nothing new and conceptually has been around for a

long time. Recently there appears to have been a subtle but definite increase

in interest. After all cooking a meal requires heat, and generating heat direct

from solar energy is far preferable to using energy to mine coal to ultimately

produce electricity and then subsequently using the self-same electricity to

generate heat for cooking, as is the protocol of coal-driven electricity.

It simply makes sense to rely on solar energy as a local and sustainable form

of renewable energy, as opposed to an over-reliance on distant energy

production. Cooking with a solar oven comes with a low barrier of entry. So

low that virtually anyone can do it. You require no previous experience, no

complicated technical skill, no capital-intensive financial resource. During a

blackout, it can only be useful and fun.

Hygiene

A blackout also means no more hot water. Back in the old days, water was

boiled over an open fire and mixed with some water at room temperature to

get warm water for baths. Consequently, baths were quick and people would

get out before the water turned cold. You can do that or consider getting a

solar water heater. Consult with an authorized installer on what kind of


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system is appropriate for your home and then you can actually build your own

heater and let the sun do its job.

Heat-related Injuries and Prevention

When the power goes out in the summer, heat can become a problem. Most

heat disorders are caused by dehydration. Our bodies lose water from

sweating and the water lost must be constantly replaced. The young, the old,

those with chronic illness and people who are homebound are most at-risk for

heat-related injury.

People at work in hot weather can face a risk when the outage results in the

loss of air conditioning in their office, plant or other place of employment.

All heat-related deaths are preventable. When faced with prolonged high

temperatures, CDC recommends that people take the precautions below to

prevent illness and injury:

- Check often on those at most risk- Drink at least one gallon of water each day

- Avoid alcohol and caffeine; these can dehydrate your body

- Replace salts and minerals by drinking sports drinks or taking salt tablets

- Wear lightweight clothing, light-colored clothing and sunscreen if you go

outside

- Take frequent cool showers or baths

If you feel dizzy, weak or overheated, go to a cool place. Sit or lie down, drink

water and wash your face with cold water. If you don't feel better soon, get

help from an emergency medical provider.

Warning signs of heat stroke can include: red, hot and dry skin, rapid andstrong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, high body

temperature.

What can you do?

- Get the person to a shady area


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- Cool the person rapidly, spray or sponge them with cool water

- Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until it drops

- If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital for instructions

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Most healthy individuals will survive a few hours without heat provided they

stay warm by donning extra layers of clothing or blankets but problems will

arise if the outage is prolonged. If you don't have an alternative heat source to

heat your home like a wood or gas fireplace, consider having one installed. A

gas fireplace will keep the floor it's located on relatively warm. The alternative

floors will be considerably cooler but not life threatening. If you dont have

another heat source, considering going somewhere else until the power

returns.


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Let the sun heat up the rooms in your house by leaving all curtains and blinds

open during the day. To conserve the heat, close the curtains at night to keep

it from escaping.

Safe food

Food in your freezer or refrigerator can also spoil in the winter. If its the dead

of winter, you can remove the contents, place them in bags or baskets, and

store them in the garage to keep cold. Ensure that the garage is very cold and

remember to put the perishables back in the house when the power returns.

Can you put the food from the refrigerator and freezer out in the snow, if

a snowstorm knocked down the power lines?

No, frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the

temperature is very cold. Refrigerated food may become too warm and

foodborne bacteria could grow. The outside temperature could vary hour by

hour and the temperature outside will not protect refrigerated and frozen

food. Additionally, perishable items could be exposed to unsanitary conditions

or to animals. Animals may harbor bacteria or disease. Never consume food

that has come in contact with an animal.

Rather than putting the food outside, consider taking advantage of the cold

temperatures by making ice. Fill buckets, empty milk cartons or cans with

water and leave them outside to freeze. Then put the homemade ice in your

refrigerator, freezer or coolers.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

The longer you're without heat, the greater the chance that your pipes will

freeze and burst. Turn your water on periodically to keep the pipes working.

You will have some hot water in your water tank and it will stay hot for some

time. Use your remaining hot water for this purpose. Use only a bit of hotwater mixed with cold and run the water for a minute starting with any taps

that are located on an outside wall. If your taps are prone to freezing shut the

water off at the main valve and purge the remaining water from the system.


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A prolonged power outage can occur at any time and for any reason.

Preparing in advance for the worst-case scenario, will ensure that you and

your family have everything you need to endure the longest blackout.

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What do we really mean when we say disaster? Many people are very afraid of

a terrorist attack. However, it's important to know that the chance of a

terrorist attack directly threatening your life is very slim compared to a

natural disaster. No matter where you live, your local area has its ownpotential for a similar doomsday event: a tornado, forest fire, earthquake,

flood, etc. Human error and carelessness can also cause massive disruption: a

large hazmat spill, extended blackout, nuclear event, etc.

Experts recommend that everyone be able to live independently (totally "off

the grid") for at least seventy-two hours - three days. In most areas of the

country, that's how long it may take for help to reach you in a major disaster.

That's Level I survival. Level II is a survival plan to live without normal

amenities or assistance for 20 days. Level III is the plan and supplies to

survive for at least 60 days.

Imagine you suddenly have no electricity, no running water, no natural gas, no

heat, no telephone service, etc. Assume you are in your home or office, and it's

not safe to leave. Emergency services are unavailable. Police and fire

departments are overextended; even if you were able to contact them, they

couldn't respond. You're on your own What will you do? We're so used to all

the conveniences of modern life: lights, appliances, TV, communications,phones, Internet, climate control, etc. When they're suddenly taken away, few

of us know how to cope. In these circumstances, panic can set in quickly.

Please remember, this is not worst-worst case. There is a fair chance we may

face this scenario one day.

Here are your priorities: water, food, heat, lighting, physical protection &

safety, health, communications, and sanitation.

Water

Water is absolutely essential to survival. You can go without food for a month

or more, but you'll get sick and die from dehydration within a week if you

don't have any water to drink. First priority then is to make sure you have

enough drinking water. Enough means at least one full gallon per person per


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day, plus one half gallon per day for each companion animal you want to keep

alive.

In addition to drinking water, you will need lots of water for washing andsanitation. If you're at home after a disaster, and the tap is still running, fill all

your bathtubs. However, you may not want to trust the water quality,

particularly after an earthquake, flood, or other massive disturbance. There's

a good chance that contaminants could be drawn into the water system.

Occasional treatment with a few drops of chlorine bleach is recommended.

Food

You'll need a supply of food that will keep fresh for long periods withoutrefrigeration. Canned foods will store safely for many years. You'll be very

surprised when you shop for your survival kit, by the variety of interesting

things you can get in a can these days. Another good choice for your kit would

be "dry goods" such as grains, cereals, and pasta. However, these require

precious drinking water for cooking, and airtight storage. Remember, if air can

get in, so can bugs, and you don't want that. Regarding cooking, you should

either rely on fuel or consider getting a solar cooker.

Lighting

You must have several good flashlights and plenty of alkaline or lithium

batteries on hand. The new LED bulb models are particularly suitable in this

situation. They give good light yet last much, much longer on a set of batteries

than regular flashlights. However, there is no substitute for a good mantle

lantern, which can give as much light as a regular light fixture. It's amazing

how big a psychological boost good light can give you.

Safety

After a natural disaster or massive explosion, you should evaluate the

structural integrity of your home. If you're unsure whether it's safe or not, you

may need to evacuate. Unfortunately, if the event was severe enough to

damage your building, it also probably made the roads impassable (buckled


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pavement, fallen trees, downed electric wires, flooded, etc.). Regardless, the

roads are probably gridlocked with people trying to escape. In this situation,

you're probably best "camping out" in your backyard or in an auxiliary

structure like a garage. Here's how to tell if a building has sustained majordamage: stand back and take a good look at the walls, ceilings, and floors.

Thin cracks usually aren't serious, but large cracks, broken beams, significant

distortion (buckling, twisting, etc.), new gaps, and open spaces aren't good

signs. Listen for creaking or cracking noises, indicating potential collapse. If

you're in serious doubt, get out quickly. If you decide to stay indoors, sweep

up broken glass and try to make the environment as safe as possible,

particularly if you have little kids around.

Money

If you need to evacuate, cash will be an essential element of your survival kit.

That's because we have a cashless lifestyle and don't normally keep large

amounts of cash money around. Most of our purchases are made with credit

cards, debit cards, or checks. However, during and after a major disaster, it's

unlikely that merchants will be able to process charge cards or validate

checks. If people are selling things, they're probably going to accept cash only.

Also, they may not be able to open their electric cash drawers, so don't count

on getting change back from your hundred. Better to have smaller

denomination bills available.

Communication

In a major disaster, wired phone service will almost certainly be disrupted;

lines may be cut or the circuits jammed. Your cell phone service will probably

remain operational, although it will likely be overloaded. You'll have to keep

trying to get an open cell. If landline phones are down, then cable TV is

probably off the air, although broadcast stations will most likely still transmit.

However, unless you have a pair of "rabbit ears" lying around, and know how

to hook them up, you're not going to receive those signals. A totally essential

survival item then is a working AM/FM radio. That means a battery-operated


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one with fresh batteries available. It may be your sole link to the outside

world.

Health

You need a first aid kit and you need to know how to use it. If there are injured

people around, you're going to have to help them by yourself. However, if you

have the supplies, and a little knowledge of what to do, you'll be able to render

good emergency care, even to yourself. The most important thing is to remain

calm so you can think clearly. If people in your household take medicines on a

regular basis, you'll need to have access to them. The best is an extra supply in

the emergency kit, but you need to make sure they don't go out of date.

Conclusion

Almost every country or region in the world has fallen victim of one form of

natural disaster and many citizens of the world will experience one or more

natural disasters in their lifetime. The hope is for nothing like this to ever

happen to you, but just in case, with the proper plan and preparedness, you

and your family should be able to overcome such disasters.

surviving blackouts

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