Health & Fitness
Your power goes out... Now what?
The power just went out... What can you do today to make an outage more tolerable?
Last week we discussed how to prepare our homes for the cold winter months. I hope it gave you some ideas about how to take care of your home.
That got me to thinking about some tips on what we can do to prepare for a power outage. I can think of several times over the last few years where we experienced extended local power outages. The key is to prepare today. Here are a couple of ideas for you to consider.
First, don't wait until it's too late. The day to prepare for a power outage is today. Stores quickly run out of supplies when there is a power outage, and you don't want to be fighting over what is left with everyone else.
Due to the fact that we are talking about the outage happening in the winter, we need to prepare a way to keep warm. If you have a fireplace make sure you have wood to burn. Also think about stocking up on extra blankets and warm clothing.
What about lighting? Make sure you know where your flashlights are and make sure they are easily accessible in the dark. Unfortunately, flashlights don't work well if you don't have batteries. Have a decent backup supply of batteries for your flashlights. Please be careful with candles, make sure you extinguish them before you go to sleep.
The last time the power went out we were able to cook with our fireplace and BBQ. The kids enjoyed it and we had a good time. Think about what meals you can prepare for your family without your oven, stove or microwave. If you have small kids keep in mind their food preferences. If your kids are anything like mine they can be picky at times. However, please remember you can not BBQ inside. DO NOT EVER USE A CHARCOAL OR GAS GRILL INDOORS. THE CARBON MONOXIDE CAN KILL YOU!
Think about keeping a phone on hand that you can plug into the wall. Most land lines work even during a power outage. Most of us use cordless phones that won't work with out power.
These are just a couple things we can do to prepare. What tips do you have in case of an power outage? Please share them in the comment section. I would love to learn what you do.
The bitterness of poor coverage lingers long after the sweet price is forgotten.
Joe Urvina is an insurance agent located in Gig Harbor, WA.
www.facebook.com/UrvinaInsurance
Joe@UrvinaInsurance.com
Twitter - @UrvinaInsurance
(253) 858-5881
