It seems next to impossible to think of our life without electricity as it has become a keystone in our day-to-day life at home and outside at schools, workplaces, shopping malls, theaters, amusement parks, transportation, cell phones, industries, and so on. At home, all the appliances for daily needs are through electricity. Starting from the wake-up alarm in the morning to when we go back to bed at night, we are entirely dependent on electricity.
Sometimes, weather conditions such as extreme hot or cold days, heavy snowfall, storms, natural disasters like cyclones, floods, or maybe the falling of a heavy tree on electric wires may cause a power cut. It might take hours to resume the power supply if the conditions are bad. As we entirely depend on power for our daily routine, you should know to handle the situation at the time of power outages. So, without further adieu, let’s begin.
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How To Stay Warm
Suppose you face hours without power in the chilling winters. In that case, all the family members should sit in one room with fewer windows, as the body heat will help you all keep warm. In addition, sitting in one common room or place will save the power supply by generators or inverters for long hours. To protect yourself from the cold, wear some layers of warm clothes and cover yourself with blankets.
Take caution by not using gas ovens, grills, or heaters for warming as they spread some harmful gases, which may be very dangerous and life-threatening.
How To Stay Cool
Keeping your body hydrated is the best way to keep yourself calm and keep drinking plenty of water and fluids. Try to use a room that does not face the sun directly or use thick curtains on windows to avoid sun rays. To beat the unbearable heat, you can take a cool shower, and it will help you stay cool a little longer. Lying in the bathtub or swimming will also help you to keep cool. If possible, you can use battery-operated fans also. To avoid excessive heat in the kitchen, you can use a grill outside instead of a gas stove for cooking.
Keep Your Food Fresh And Safe
When the power goes out for long hours, it’s necessary to maintain the freezing temperature below 40 F and above 0 F for the freezer to avoid food from getting spoiled. It would be best to have an appliance thermometer in your fridge and freezer; a full freezer can maintain the temperature for 48 hours. You can use frozen gel packs or buy dry ice to keep the food safe in the freezer. The freezer will maintain coolness after a power outage for a limited time; therefore, try not to expose the refrigerator to room temperature by opening the fridge door. This can preserve your food for 4 hours after the power goes out.
Instead of opening the fridge, you can use canned or non-refrigerated food items. If the power cut is more than 4 hours, it is advisable to discard or throw away the ready-to-eat frozen food items such as meat, fish, and poultry as they may not be safe to eat. Frozen food items in the freezer which still have ice crystals can be refrozen or cooked. If you fail to maintain the required freezer temperature, it is best not to use the food kept in the fridge as it may be spoiled and can make you ill.
If the power outage prevails for a long time because of unavoidable conditions, buy some canned foods, boxed milk, and some non-refrigerable food items for at least three days’ worth.
Water Problems
Power outages can affect the water supply too, and it can be a severe issue. You should always have some alternative of water for such unavoidable circumstances. Fill the water bottles, containers, or even bathtubs before the outage takes longer as it may affect the water supply.
People using well for water may also suffer when the power goes out as the pump will not work without electricity. Therefore, the owners should connect their water pumps with gas-powered generators, which are readily available for rent, or else install permanent generators to avoid such issues in the future.
Protect Your Electronics
Power surges can harm your devices. To avoid this issue, plug all-important devices into power surge protectors. If items are not plugged into a surge protector, then go around and unplug everything from the walls when the power supply goes out.
Conclusion
Hence, to conclude, we should always be prepared for power outages, primarily due to extreme climate conditions. Always keep power banks and batteries fully charged. Install a generator, and also keep an alternate for water. Do keep some canned food items that do not need any refrigeration. This will help you to handle a power outage a bit easier.
