Power Outage

12/14/2022 (Permalink)

Surprisingly, power outages are even getting worse in the USA. The annual average of powevery five years! The reason for this has to do with aging infrastructure, more frequent storms, and problems sustaining the electric grid as populations grow.

Despite how common power outages are, few people are prepared for them and even fewer people know what to do if the power goes out.

Steps to Take Immediately After the Power Goes Out

Step 1: Turn On Your Emergency Lights

Make sure your emergency lights are somewhere accessible in case you have to find them in the dark.  Ideally, keep a flashlight in each room of your Joliet home.

In general, it is better to use battery-operated lights instead of candles because of the fire risk.

Step 2: See If Your Neighbors Have Power

If your neighbors still have electricity, then the problem is likely inside your home.  Start by checking the main fuses or circuit breakers to see if they have blown.

Step 3: Check the Extent of the Problem

If your neighbors also don’t have electricity, you’ll want to see how wide-spread the problem is.  You can do this by calling your power supplier.  It might take a while to get through to them if a lot of people are trying to call.

You can also try calling friends who live nearby to see if they have power or not.

Step 4: Contact Family Members

During large power outages, stoplights and streetlights can go out too – making it unsafe to drive.

If your family members aren’t at home, get in contact with them.  It might be best for them to remain at their current location until it is safer for them to come home.

Note that your family should have a contact plan in place.

Step 5: Unplug Appliances

When the power comes back on, it can cause a huge power spike which may damage electronics.

Hopefully all of your sensitive electronics are on surge protectors.

Even if they are, it is still smart to unplug all of your sensitive (expensive) electronics from the wall so they don’t get damaged when the power comes back on.

Step 6: See if Water is Safe to Drink

When the power goes out, water treatment centers might not work.  You could still have clean-looking water coming from the tap, but it might not be safe to drink!

Call your local authorities to see if the water is safe to drink.  Or, you can listen to your emergency radio to see if there is a “boil alert” in place.

**If you are unsure whether the water is safe to drink, always play it safe!  Treat water before drinking it or use bottled water.