Were you and your family among the hundreds of thousands of households across the United States left without power last year on Christmas Eve?
At a time when people who observe the holidays should have been eating, drinking, and making merry with friends and loved ones, Mother Nature was wreaking havoc. The snowstorm that blasted much of the country on December 24 left 700,000+ without power and resulted in more than a dozen deaths due to vehicle accidents connected to the winter storm.
It’s a serious matter if the power grid goes down during a vicious snowstorm. But if you’re prepared, you won’t have to panic. You can weather the storm until the grid goes back online.
Are you interested in learning how you can be prepared if the weather or a natural disaster disables the power grid or prevents trucks from bringing food to grocery stores?
Continue reading to learn what you, as a homeowner, need to do to be ready for emergencies.
Have Emergency Supply of Food and Water
You should have at least three days of non-perishable food and water for each household member. But that’s just the minimum. It’s even better to have a supply that can serve your household for weeks or even months. Doing so means you’ll be able to meet not only your family’s needs, but also the needs of other people like friends and neighbors.
You’ll have enough stress to deal with if the power goes out. But things will be even worse if you also have to deal with a lack of food and water. A little proactive preparation now will ensure you won’t have to worry about what to eat or drink if the power grid goes down.
And, again, you’ll be better off if you have enough non-perishable food and water to last your household for weeks or months. There’ll be no need to panic if basic needs are met.
Learning how to can fruits and vegetables will be worth your while. Learning how to dehydrate food is also a good idea. It’ll help you put together an emergency supply of food.
Figure Out What Risks You Face
You’ll face different weather or natural disaster risks depending on where you live in the country. It’s essential to understand those risks so that you can prepare accordingly. If you live in a region prone to earthquakes, snowstorms, or floods, you’ll want to know how to prepare.
You might even ponder whether it’s worth the risk. If that’s the case, you might want to explore relocating to an area with much fewer power disruption risks. There are many good reasons to consider selling your home and moving elsewhere.
Ensure you’re not doing it based on a knee-jerk reaction. But it might make sense to relocate if you live in a high-risk city or state.
Create an Emergency Kit
It’s also a good idea to create an emergency kit — and to ensure everyone in your household knows where it’s stored. In addition to adequate non-perishable food and water, you should have the following:
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Can opener
- First aid kit
- Tools in the event you have to turn off utilities
- Moist towelettes and personal sanitation items
- Medications for people in your household
- Food and supplements for your pets
Discuss the matter with your loved ones to determine if other things should be in the emergency supply kit.
Consider Alternative Power Source
Having a way to power your home when the power grid goes down is also essential. Getting a backup generator that can power your entire house will be ideal. It’ll kick in once it registers that the utility power is offline. But it’s also an expensive option. However, if you want an easy way to power your home, it’s hard to beat getting a backup generator for your home.
You can also get a portable generator that can connect to your home’s breaker box. Depending on your generator’s watts, you may be able to power most of your home with it. It’s cheaper than getting a backup generator and can be a godsend.
Invest in solar panels if you plan to stay in your current home for a while. You can get them installed on your roof. Depending on the configuration you get, you might generate enough solar power to take care of the power needs of your entire residence. Some families opt to get backup generators and solar panels for ultimate protection.
Having an alternative source of power makes sense regardless of where you reside. Consider what’s the best option for your family. When you have a way to power at least the important things in your home, you won’t have to panic if the power grid is knocked offline.
Have List of Important Numbers
When there’s an emergency, you’ll want to have a list of important phone numbers. You can easily key them into your smartphone where they can be easily retrieved when the time comes. Whatever way you assemble the numbers isnt as important as actually doing so. You’ll want to check in on family, friends, and neighbors. And you’ll also want to have easy access to healthcare service providers, the authorities, the utility company, and more.
Stay Abreast of the News
You’ll also want to stay abreast of the news so that you know what’s going on. A battery-operated radio will help. But so, too, can a good news app on your phone. If you still have access to the internet during a power outage, find a good provider of local news. You’ll want to know the extent of the power outage or natural disaster, how soon things will get back to normal, and anything else about what’s happened. The last thing you’ll want is to be clueless.
Are You Thinking About Relocating?
If you’re considering moving in the near or not-so-distant future, you might not want to waste money on things like backup generators or solar panels. These things can make your home more attractive, but your upfront expense might not be worth it if you’ll sell your home soon.
Consider a cash deal if the present seems like a good time to sell your home. Our platform makes it easy for you to get a free cash offer that you can easily accept or refuse. There’s no catch. If you don’t like the offer, there’s no obligation. Click here to learn more about how the process works. It’s an easy way to sell a home!