Submitted by heretolearnlady t3_11avzj0 in LifeProTips
Does anybody have tips to better prepare for winter storm power outages?
Comments
Sometimes_Stutters t1_j9vx3ki wrote
Piggybacking here. Depending on your heating energy source you need to size your generator properly. I have natural gas heating so I need enough to power the furnace blower, 1 fridge, 1 freezer, and probably a couple lights. I live in the upper Midwest so I also have wood stove ready to fire up whenever and a good cache of firewood.
Finally, again, depending on your water source, you will need to factor that in (public works vs rural well). If you have public works and your house starts getting cold make sure you leave a couple faucets trickling. If you have a rural well you need to know how to drain your lines. It’s not hard but you don’t want to learn on the fly.
Urgullibl t1_j9wnarl wrote
...and don't forget that you'll need enough extension cords to go with it.
enlitenme t1_j9utaft wrote
The Red Cross recommends having 72 hours' worth of materials. Typically after that duration there's other supports coming and it's now a real crisis!
Remember, you're not actually going to starve within 72 hours, and a wasted fridge full of food is a small price to pay.
Know whether your furnace and water will still work in the event of an outage. If they won't, have blankets handy and fill the tub or buckets with water. Setting aside some in clean containers for drinking is nice. Bring in fuel for the fireplace, if you have one.
Fuel for BBQ (don't cook with gas in the house!) in case you need to cook a freezer full of food. A fuller freezer will stay frozen longer than an empty one. Avoid opening the fridge door to get things. A camp stove could be handy to use also outside.
Canned goods and other foods that don't need heating/cooling. Nuts, fruit, PB&J, spaghetti-os, tortilla chips and canned chili, etc. It's always good to have some of these on hand anyway.
A crank radio and crank flashlight. You can use your car radio, but that's chilly!
Backup battery charger for your phone. Try to use other devices and entertainment sources instead. Your phone is a valuable lifeline.
Lights: candles are cheapest but obviously not safest! Solar lights are great!
Shovels and road salt handy
Stock up on medication, pet food
If you have houseplants and no heat, cluster them together and cover with a blanket or tarp. If you have a fish tank, cold water has less oxygen. You can heat water on a BBQ or blow into a tube to aerate (that one's obviously much tougher!!!) You can also wrap the tank in blankets to retain heat longer.
Also, a car kit!!! And make sure you always have lots of gas in the car. There's tons of checklists for what should be in your winter car kit. They actually save lives.
astralwizard85 t1_j9ue7q4 wrote
Fill your entire bathtub with water. You don't know if you'll end up needing it to flush your toilet, etc. Having access to 30-40 gallons of "clean" water can be great during a winter storm.
PrisonerV t1_j9uvebq wrote
Most water doesn't stop with a power outage.
JesusPotto t1_j9vug1y wrote
Urbanite detected
PrisonerV t1_j9vutrg wrote
Yes, that is where the people are located.
Frost312 t1_j9v2ucy wrote
Warm water might depending on how it's heated. But that's miniscule in the grand scheme of things.
PrisonerV t1_j9v7lje wrote
But how does that affect flushing a toilet, which is a gravity fed process?
JesusPotto t1_j9xqfc4 wrote
The flush is gravity fed, the tank refill is fed by your water pump. No power = no water pump = you have one flush to make it count.
milochuisael t1_j9y91q0 wrote
What does that have to do with warm water
JesusPotto t1_j9yxpy5 wrote
You do know they both come from the same source? If you lose pressure on your cold main you don’t have hot main.
milochuisael t1_j9zch05 wrote
Original comment said most water. Sorry you’re in the 5% of people that loses water pressure in a power outage
JesusPotto t1_j9zlhoo wrote
Where do you think you get water pressure? The only reason you don’t lose pressure is because the lift pumps have diesel generators as a backup. You arent as safe as you think when it comes to water and power loss.
PrisonerV t1_j9y998e wrote
Like 99% of the US population doesn't rely on a water pump for water.
JesusPotto t1_j9yxg7d wrote
Again, urbanite detected.
JesusPotto t1_j9yxmtt wrote
And you’ve never seen them, but your building absolutely has lift pumps if you live in anything with like, more than 5 floors.
ChrisGeritol t1_j9uklj6 wrote
Flashlights and fuel for a fireplace if you have one.
PrisonerV t1_j9uu3z0 wrote
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Generator
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Alternate heat like a vent free natural gas heater or Buddy Heater
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Small portable gas stove
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Flashlights, led lanterns, candles, oil lamps
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Puzzles or cards. Uno is a favorite.
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Keep your cell phones charged and get a weather app with real-time alerts. We use Storm Shield.
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Warming meals like soup. Have some ready made so they're easy to heat.
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Wear layers. Wool socks.
Ok-Cheetah-9125 t1_j9vbrq3 wrote
Charge all of your devices a few hours before. If you have any of those emergency power bank things for your cellphone, charge those too.
Turn up the heat so the place gets warmer than normal. If the power goes out, you'll appreciate it being warm longer.
Have flashlights with batteries or equivalent lanterns and know exactly where they are so you can grab them in the dark.
Have food options that don't require using the stove or opening the fridge. Think peanut butter and bread, or crackers, bag of chips, popcorn etc.
If you have a wood or pellet stove, make sure you have wood or pellets.
Equivalent-Light-396 t1_j9uj9lv wrote
Generator, solar battery, camping stove, tea lights - we just had a power outage that lasted 48 hours
ScarySherry510 t1_j9wbvn5 wrote
Coleman stove, extra little propane, tanks and a coffee press and headlights that you wear on your head for reading books
TheDarkRabbit t1_j9welox wrote
Join /r/preppers
Albionflux t1_j9yf86e wrote
Every year when winter approaches i buy 2 casses of waterbottles
If its cold enough that powers out chances are pipes are frozen as well and the water is never wasted if not needed
Bryan_Mills2020 t1_j9yxuva wrote
A kerosene heater for home use (not the garage heater) and two five gallons gas cans for kerosene. We have a larger one that can heat our entire house in about two hours.
keepthetips t1_j9uc0pf wrote
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[deleted] t1_j9uqjwd wrote
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Almostradamus t1_j9x7bsb wrote
Blackout / rechargeable light bulbs. I have some and they work as regular bulbs until there’s an outage - then they provide light for up to 8 hours and they still respond to the light switch as usual. I have them strategically placed around the house and have bought a bunch for elderly family members and friends
RoboPopo1 t1_j9xgb2s wrote
separate power source -back up
katomka t1_j9y8hwc wrote
Make a pot of coffee before the storm
Fantastic-Surprise98 t1_j9yq85x wrote
Generac whole house back-up generator that auto starts/switches (connected to natural gas line). No worries.
rustytiger t1_j9ucktb wrote
Buy a generator. Do it before you NEED to. This way you can research and get the best one for you rather than a rushed decision. And always keep some fuel around.