A common misconception is that power outages usually only occur during a lightning storm. Power outages can often happen in the dead of winter during periods of high wind, snow storms or simply some heavy wet snow. Although you can’t control the weather from knocking out the electricity in your home, you can take proper precautions to keep your family safe and warm during a winter power outage.
A generator will kick on almost immediately should the power in your home go out. This is a must have for those living in areas that get an extreme amount of snow during the winter season. To ensure the generator is functioning properly, test it quarterly by manually turning it on and have it serviced by a professional once a year.
Having a set location for flashlights and batteries is very important. You don’t want to drain the battery on your phone using its flashlight frantically searching for batteries. Having a set location and keeping it stocked will keep you prepared for a power outage. Refrain from using candles at all costs to decrease the chances of starting a fire in your home.
You’ll definitely need your phone in case of an emergency and you can’t use it if the battery dies. Invest in a battery operated cell phone charger and keep it in the same location as the batteries and flashlights.
In most cases, you will also lose your heat in the event of a power outage. If you use a wood burner, you’ll be fine, but those who heat their home using electric or gas furnaces will be out of luck. Always keep warm blankets on hand – warm camping equipment can come in handy in the event of a power outage during the winter. A battery operated heated blanket will also help keep you warm should you be without heat for an extensive amount of time.
