Power Outages

Before a Power outage...

• Register life-sustaining and medical equipment with your utility company
• Consider buying a genrator. when installing a genrator, follow the instructions carefully. Keep your generator outside adn run a card inside. Don't connect your generator to main service panels - It's dangerous!
• Make sure your disaster preparedness it contains light sticks, flashlights, a battery powered radio with extra batteries and a wind-up clock.
• Have a corded telephone available - cordless phones will not work when the power is out.
• Have an alternative heat source and supply of fuel.
• If you own an electric garage door opener, know how to open the door without power

During a power outage...

• Turn off lights adn electrical appliances except for teh refrigerator and freezer. Even if it is dark, turn light switches and buttons on lamps or appliances to the "off" position. Leave one lamp on so you will know when power is restored. Wait at least 15 minutes after power is restored before turning on other appliances.
• Unplug computers and other sensitive equipment to protect them from possible surges whne the power is restored
• Converse water, especially if you use well water.
• Never use gas ovens, gas ranges, barbeques or propane heaters for indoor heating - they use oxygen and create carbon monoxide that can cause suffocation
• Using a kerosene heater, gas lantern or stove inside the house can be dangerous. Maintain proper ventilation at all times to avoid a buildup of toxic fumes
• Candles can cause a fire. It is far better to use battery - operated flashlights or glow sticks for lighting
• Stay away from downed power lines and sagging trees with broken limbs

Keep food safe...

• Use and store food carefully to prevent food-borne illness when power outages make refrigeration unavailable.
• Use foods first that can spoil most rapidly
• Keep doors to refrigerators and freezers closed. Your refrigerator's freezer will keep food frozen for up to a day. A seperate fully loaded freezer will keep food frozen for two days
• Use and ice chest packed with ice to keep food cold. Buy dry ice to save frozen food. Do not handle dry ice with your bare hands. Use blocks or bags of ice to save refrigerator foods
• Use caution if storing food outside during winter to keep it cold. The outside temprature varies, expecially in the sun. Frozen food may thaw and refrigerator food may become warm enough to grow bacteria. Food stored outside must be secured from contamination by animals
• If in doubt, throw it out. Throw out meat, seafood, dairy products and cooked food that does not feel cold
• Never taste suspect food. Even if food looks and smells fine, illness-causing bacteria may be present.