Flashlights with batteries (one for every family member)
Battery-operated radio and clock
Extra batteries
Containers of water or bottled water
Canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated food, powdered milk,
baby supplies for infants
Non-electric can opener
Sterno or similar fuel (NEVER burn charcoal indoors)
List of important phone numbers
First-aid kit
Cash
Keep your car's gas tank full
Know how to manually operate an electric garage door
Unplug sensitive electronic equipment
Turn off major appliances or unplug if there isn't an
OFF position
Basement Flooding
If you anticipate basement flooding during a storm, turn off
your water heater, furnace and non-submersible sump pump, and
your electric system before water can reach them. ELECTRICITY
AND WATER CREATE A DANGEROUS MIX, so don't go into your basement
or attempt to turn off the electricity in your basement if it's
already flooded.
Some volunteer fire departments may pump out flooded basements.
Be sure to have all electrical equipment including washing machines,
dryers and spare refrigerators checked by an electrician before
restarting.
Check List -
At the Threat of a Major Storm
Check your "Lights Out" kit to be sure it's
well stocked and ready.
Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest
settings.
We recommend unplugging the air-conditioner, ceiling
fan, dryer, electric stove, freezer, furnace, refrigerator,
washer and water pump if there isn't an OFF position.
If you have a well and water pump, fill your bathtub
and spare containers with water. (Safety--WARNING keep small
children and pets away from full bath tubs, keep bathroom doors
closed!) Take steps to protect your major or electronically
sensitive appliances prior to a major storm (unplug all sensitive
electronic equipment such as TV, computer, stereo, VCR, cordless
telephone base, answering machine, garage door opener, and microwave.
Fill your car's gas tank.
Check List -
If You Lose Power
Contact the power company immediately to report the
outage.
Take steps to prevent food spoilage.
Stay indoors. If you must venture outside, stay away
from downed and dangling lines. Treat all downed lines as if
they are live and dangerous.
If you use a portable generator, follow important,
life-saving instructions.
Keep a battery-operated radio on for safety tips and
for restoration progress.
Food
Do not refreeze melted ice cream or yogurt, seafood, food that
has thawed completely and been held above 40 degrees for two
hours or longer, anything with custard fillings, or any foods
with a questionable texture or odor. A general rule on food
spoilage is, "If in doubt, throw it out."
If you have any questions about the safety of defrosted foods,
you can call the U.S. Department of Agriculture's toll-free
"Meat and Poultry Line" at 1-800-535-4555 weekdays,
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Garage Doors (Electric)
Doors of this type may be opened by disengaging the drive mechanism.
Methods used to do this vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Please consult your operating instructions supplied by the manufacturer.
They will tell you how to disengage the drive mechanism so that
you can open the door manually. If you do not have a manufacturer's
instruction book, call the company that installed the doors.
Generator Installation
Have a qualified, licensed electrician install your generator.
The generator must be connected to your home's wiring through
a special transfer switch to ensure that the house wires are
isolated from the utility wires so that power lines cannot be
energized by your generator.
If a portable generator is improperly connected to your house's
electrical system, the electricity it generates not only enters
the home's wiring but could be back feeding into the power lines,
creating a life-threatening hazard for repair crews or others
nearby.
Keeping Your
Pipes from Freezing
Shut off the valve that allows water to come into your home.
Then, open any drain valves and all faucets and let them run
until the pipes are empty (it's helpful to identify these valves
in advance). Next, flush all toilets and pour denatured alcohol
into toilets and sinks to prevent water in the traps from freezing.
Do NOT use automotive antifreeze in case there's trouble with
your water system; you don't want the antifreeze to contaminate
your drinking water. You may, however, use nontoxic antifreeze
that's made for winterizing motor homes.
Turn off the furnace emergency switch. Then drain your furnace
boiler by opening the valve at the bottom (this looks like a
garden faucet). Also, open all radiator vents. Be sure the boiler
is filled with water again before it is restarted.
The tank of your electric water heater will keep water warm
for the first few days after an outage. However, it can freeze
after prolonged cold and should be drained after three days
of below freezing temperatures.
Medical Problems
If you have a special medical problem, call your local INFOLINE,
the American Red Cross, or your local town or civil defense
officials for information about shelters. If you're ill or frail,
consider staying with relatives at a town shelter if the outage
will be lengthy.
If a member of your household relies on electric equipment for
a life-threatening medical condition, we suggest a back-up plan
to provide the patient with alternative facility care in case
of a prolonged outage.
If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with
your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended
outage. You may want to keep a small cooler handy.
Pets
Smaller pets such as fish, birds and reptiles may be endangered.
Since many of these animals are fragile, we recommend that you
do not wait until an outage strikes to devise alternate arrangements.
Check with a reputable pet store to determine what steps you
can take before and during an outage to ensure your pet's survival.
Portable Generators
If you feel that you cannot tolerate an extended power outage,
we recommend that you purchase a portable generator. Select
a generator correctly sized to meet your needs. Ask your dealer
for guidelines. There are important, life saving issues involved
in selecting, purchasing, installing and maintaining a portable
generator. Also, you may need a town permit or an official inspection.
Please be aware that improper portable generator installation
and use COULD KILL AN UNSUSPECTING LINE WORKER. It could also
cause a house fire. Do not use a generator until you can use
it safely.
GENERATOR EXHAUST IS DEADLY. We recommend that the unit not
be located indoors. Never refuel the generator while it's operating.
See
Protecting Sensitive Electronic
Equipment
You may want to use surge suppressers to protect your sensitive
electrical equipment from voltage irregularities, disturbances
that can jumble your computer data. VOLTAGE IRREGULARITIES can
occur when the power line between your house and the pole is
damaged, or there's damage to your SERVICE ENTRANCE CABLE (the
wire running down the side of your house to the electric meter).
Whole house SURGE SUPPRESSOR KITS can help protect your home
from power surges. Small surge suppressers can be installed
in outlets into which electronic equipment is plugged. Power
surge suppressers are available in most department stores. Before
you buy one, be sure it bears the Underwriters' Laboratories
(UL) 1449 label for safety.
Refrigerator and Freezer
Before a storm -- Set your refrigerator and freezer to their
coldest settings (remember to reset them after). Throw a blanket
over both for extra insulation to keep the cold in. It's a good
idea to place plastic containers filled with water in your freezer
- ice helps maintain the cold during outages.
During a storm -- DON'T OPEN THE REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER DOOR.
If the unit's door is unopened, food stays in a full refrigerator
for up to 24 hours and in a freezer up to 48 hours if it's well
packed; 24 hours if it's half packed. You might load up a cooler
with ice and store food you'll need during the first day or
so after an outage.
See
Service Wire Damage
Shut off your home's main switch or put the main circuit breaker
in the OFF position if you are without power and:
A tree has fallen on the service wire leading from
the pole to your house.
Service wire is down or pulled away from the house.
If your lights are dim or unusually bright it signals voltage
trouble which could damage sensitive electronic equipment or
motor driven appliances.
You should shut off your home's main switch or put the main
circuit breaker in the OFF position.