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Do You Have a Plan if You Lost Power for a Week?

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Family

Nearly every home is susceptible to power outages caused by disasters, some disruptions last for days, even weeks. Electrical power loss can create unhealthy and unsafe living conditions or building damage. Taking steps to prepare before a power outage is the best way to maintain your family’s comfort and avoid danger, costly losses, or damage to your home. Learning how to protect food, prevent mold growth, safely use generators, prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and avoid house fires when power returns are all essential parts of your power outage preparedness plan.

Get your home ready for a power outage by adopting habits that maintain readiness. Evaluate and secure different backup power options ranging from small backup batteries and solar charging options to portable or standby generators with an automatic switch.

Before a Power Outage

  • Maintain a supply of cash as ATMs may not operate, and businesses and restaurants may be unable to accept debit or credit cards.
  • Keep your gas tank full or nearly full at all times. If you use your car to charge your devices, never leave it running inside a garage, partially-enclosed space, or near a home
  • Keep a supply of nonperishable foods, medicine, baby supplies, and pet food on hand.
  • Prepare one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. Make a disaster supply kit.
  • Fill plastic containers with water, leaving about an inch of space in the container, and store them in your refrigerator or freezer as space allows. Storing this water will help keep food cold during a power outage.
  • Keep devices like cell phones and tablets charged and have backup batteries or other charging methods.
  • Backup your computer files and operating systems regularly. Consider extra batteries and a power converter for your laptop.
  • Turn off all appliances and electronic devices when they’re not in use to protect them from power surges.
  • Use a high-quality surge protector for all high-value electronics. If you use a computer frequently, consult your local computer equipment dealer about an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
  • Identify all essential, power-dependent equipment and services your family may need such as medical devices and assistive technology. Have a back-up plan to maintain power, including relocation options if necessary.
  • If your garage door opener is electric, know how to locate and use the manual release lever. Understand that you may need help to lift the garage door due to weight. If you ordinarily enter your home through the garage, make sure you have an alternate way and key to enter if the garage door won’t open.
  • If your telephone requires electricity, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan alternate communication options, including a regular telephone handset, cell phone, radio, or pager.
  • Ask remote service providers if they have backup power systems and how long those systems will operate. Some voicemail systems and remote computer dial-up servers may not work if power is out in their location, even if your power is uninterrupted.
  • Keep your use of electricity minimal by practicing energy conservation measures to help power companies avoid imposing rolling blackouts.
  • Learn about state or local emergency plans detailing the closest cooling and warming shelters. If the temperature is extremely hot or cold outside and the power outage is expected to last for a long time, consider relocating temporarily to a site with heating or air conditioning.
  • Consider purchasing a portable generator and learn how to use and ventilate it safely before an outage occurs.
  • Consider purchasing and installing a standby home generator with an automatic switch.

Windstorms commonly cause electrical power loss when trees and limbs fall on above-ground lines or transformers fail. Communities that invest in underground utility lines reduce the risk and duration of power outages by building more disaster-resilient infrastructure. You can help prevent power loss from downed trees and limbs by keeping your landscape trimmed and clear of dead or weak branches.

You can also make your home resilient to power loss by using a combination of power generation options from basic to sophisticated. Then you can provide backup power for lighting, food preservation, limited air conditioning, prevention of mold growth on interior finishes, and much more.

During and After a Power Outage

Electrical power loss can have many secondary effects, including compromised water and sewage systems. Use sewage check valves and backflow preventers on your home to guard against contamination.

Always use flashlights and rechargeable lamps instead of candles during a power outage. Candles present a fire risk when first responders may be unable to reach you.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.

As soon as your power outage begins, turn off all appliances that are in use, especially ranges, ovens, or stoves. Turning off appliances is essential as the power may return when you are away from home, and an unattended appliance can cause a fire or water loss inside your home.

Two kinds of generators can generate emergency power in your home: permanently installed standby or “whole house” generators, and temporary, portable generators. No matter which you choose, consult a licensed, professional electrician to evaluate your generator purchase options.

Improperly ventilated generators can cause deadly carbon monoxide fumes to build up. The fumes are odorless and are often fatal.

How to Safely Use a Generator

  • Follow manufacturer instructions before using a generator to learn about safe usage such as proper grounding.
  • Consult relevant federal, state, and local regulations to see if you need a permit.
  • Before you operate your generator, disconnect the regular source of power to your home. Hire a qualified electrician to install the correct equipment that meets local electrical codes, or ask your utility company to install an appropriate power transfer switch.
  • Maintain an adequate supply of the correct fuel type for your generator and understand the speed of fuel consumption to maintain an adequate supply. Safely store fuel; ask your supplier for recommendations
  • Inspect and maintain your generator regularly. Consider a maintenance contract that provides at least one service visit per year. Keep fresh fuel in the tank, and periodically run the generator to test performance.
  • Regularly monitor above-ground storage tanks, pipes, and valves for cracks and leaks and make any needed repairs immediately. Meet any regulatory requirements for tanks.

Safely Install and Use a Portable Generator

  • Install electric carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups on each floor of your home, including outside each bedroom.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and use a portable generator only when needed and for essential equipment.
  • Connect the generator to appliances with heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords in good working condition with a wire gauge rated to handle the electric load.
  • If you use a portable generator, adopt an installed transfer switch or connect appliances directly to the generator.
  • Never plug the generator into a wall outlet or the main electrical panel as it will cause “back feed” or electricity that travels back through the power lines. Back feed can cause fatal harm to anyone near lines, particularly power company crews, and it can energize neighboring homes. Even if power is not restored, consider all electrical equipment energized until your electrical system is isolated from all potential power sources.
  • Keep generators, gasoline-powered equipment and tools, grills, camp stoves, and charcoal burning devices outdoors, and away from doors, windows, and vents that could permit deadly carbon monoxide to come indoors.
  • Keep generators outside and at least 15 feet away from open windows, so exhaust does not enter your or your neighbor’s home.
  • Never place a generator in your garage.
  • Keep the generator dry by operating it only on dry surfaces and when your hands are dry. Do not use the generator in wet or rainy conditions.
  • Store fuel for your generator in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, outside your house, living areas. Keep any fuel-burning appliances in specially-designed containers, and fuel your generator outside.
  • Be sure to turn off and cool down your generator before refueling.

Safely Install and Use a Standby Generator

  • Consult a licensed professional to assist with your selection and installation of a standby generator.
  • Choose a generator that is listed and approved by Underwriter’s Laboratories or a similar standards organization. Some jurisdictions require “air quality permits,” so consult a licensed electrician to identify the requirements in your area.
  • Install the generator outdoors, near the incoming gas service, near the main electrical panel, or on a flat, level mounting area.
  • The recommended distance from your generator to the home depends on state and local building codes. However, FLASH recommends a minimum of 20 feet.
    • Position the generator so that the exhaust does not blow on plants or other combustible materials. No plants, shrubs, or other ignitable materials are allowed within 1.2m (4 ft.) of the exhaust end of the generator set.
  • Do not install the generator where exhaust gas could accumulate, seep inside, or draft into a building. Furnace and other similar intakes must be at least ten feet from the exhaust end of the generator set.
  • Do not use the generator near open doors and windows.
  • Do not place the generator set near patios, decks, play areas, or animal shelters.
  • Do not install the composite mounting pad directly on grass, wood, or other combustible materials.
  • Clear all ignitable materials, including plants and shrubs, building materials, and lawn furniture, from an area at least four feet beyond the exhaust end of the generator.
  • In flood hazard areas, place the generator and its control systems above the highest expected flood level.
  • In high wind areas, securely mount the generator to a concrete pad according to the mounting instructions in the installation manual.

Before turning the power back on

  • Hire a licensed electrician to inspect your equipment before returning it to service if you have standing water or if any of your electrical components are, or were, submerged in water. Carefully evaluate your circuit breaker box to ensure it is not compromised or wet. Replace any wiring that came into contact with salt water.
  • Disconnect cord-connected appliances from their outlets until they have been inspected, repaired, and are certified by a qualified professional as safe for use.
  • Circuits with permanently affixed appliances like dishwashers should remain off until the circuits and appliances are certified as safe by a qualified professional.
  • Heating and mechanical equipment should be inspected by a qualified professional before returning to use if it has been in contact with any water.
  • Failing to inspect and certify appliances, equipment, and systems as safe to use can result in life-threatening shock or electrocution and destroy the equipment as well.

How to turn the power back on

If you are unfamiliar with your home’s electrical systems, contact your power company or a qualified electrician to make your home safe from electrical hazards.

  • Follow your power company’s advice and precautions.
  • Watch for loose or downed power lines and tree limbs or debris as they may hide an electrical hazard. Treat loose or downed power lines as if they are energized, and report them to the power company, police, or fire department immediately. Warn others of the loose or downed power lines.
  • Do not enter a wet or flooded area or building if the power is on.
  • If your exterior electrical service equipment has been flooded, have the local power company remove their metering equipment before you enter the building. Explosion, electrocution, or fire can occur if power is restored to flooded metering equipment.
  • Turn off electricity at the main breaker or fuse box, even if your community’s power is off. Do not turn power off or on at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so; call an electrician. After confirming that the power is off, leave it off until a licensed electrician can inspect and repair the electrical wiring or equipment, and a building inspector approves the work.
  • Do not go into a flooded basement unless you are sure the electricity is off.
  • Do not connect generators used to power a house until after all compromised wiring has been disconnected or replaced.

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