How to Prepare for a Winter Blackout

If you live in the southern portion of the country, a summer power outage would probably be worse than one occurring in the winter.

On the other hand, if you live in the northern portion of the country, a winter power outage would probably be worse than a summer blackout.

At least that’s the conventional wisdom. But last year, Winter Storm Uri slammed the South so hard that folks were barely surviving. In fact, some didn’t.

The good news is, there are some things you can do right now – with at least two more months of winter weather ahead – to make any blackout more manageable. 

We’re all dependent on electricity 

Most of us forget how much we depend on electricity. Until the power goes off, that is. Then it all comes screaming back at us.

Whether it’s lighting, heat or cooking. Working, communicating or being entertained. Just about everything is dependent on a supply of electricity.

I’ve frequently heard people say that an extended power outage would plunge us back into the 1800s. Actually, it would be worse than that. Folks back then knew how to live without electricity. We don’t.

Hopefully any power outage you experience this winter will be short-lived. But there’s no guarantee of that. And even if the blackout only lasts a few hours or a half-day, you need to be prepared for it.   

9 ways to get ready for an outage

So, let’s take a look at some of the ways to prepare – in advance – for a winter power outage.

• Weatherize your home with weather-stripping around doors and windows to eliminate drafts. Make sure walls and the attic are insulated. Keep your garage door closed, but make sure you can open it manually.

• Have plenty of reliable batteries on hand. Stock up on the ones that power the devices you are most likely to need in a blackout. Such as flashlights, radios, smoke detectors, etc. If those batteries are rechargeable, all the better.

• Make sure your standard radios, emergency radios, flashlights, battery-powered lanterns and other items are in good working order.

• Keep your gas tank filled. Many people who recently got stranded on I-95 in Virginia wish they had done this. Even if you can get to a gas station, pumps might not work in a power outage.

• Speaking of your car, keep water and non-perishable food in an easily accessible place. Plus blankets, hats, gloves and boots. As well as a cellphone charger, first-aid kit and foldable snow shovel.

• Consider how you will provide heat to your home during a blackout. Even if it’s only in a couple of rooms. 

• Stockpile plenty of clean drinking water and survival food in a cool, dark in your home where pests can’t get at it. If you have canned food, make sure you have a manual can opener handy. 

• Without a lot of heat in your home, water pipes are in danger of freezing. Make sure they are insulated. Allow a small drip from each faucet to continue during the blackout. Moving water is far less likely to freeze. Open cabinet doors under sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms. 

• Last but certainly not least, purchase a portable, solar-powered generator. It will make any blackout situation much easier to deal with.

Any of us could experience a winter power outage. Extreme weather is the most likely cause, but there are plenty of others. We can’t stop a winter blackout from occurring. But we can prepare for it. And if it happens, we’ll certainly be glad we did.