Oh Crap! The Power Went Out!

We usually take our electricity for granted and when it goes out, it can be mighty inconvenient, especially when the outage lasts for more than a day.  Being prepared for a power outage is just good common sense for everyday life regardless of where you live or what time of year it is, because stuff happens.

Sometimes we can anticipate that we are likely to lose power because there is a storm heading our way, be it a tropical storm, a hurricane, a blizzard or heavy wet snow.  When we expect a power outage, we can take some last-minute actions to prepare, but we should always have our basic preparations in order at all times because we don’t always have advance warning.

Below are some basic items that should be taken into consideration for a power outage:

·       Food and water should obviously be included in your prep.  Your supply of bottled water can easily be augmented with tap water stored in bottles you have collected, as well as water pitchers, cooking pots, and of course, your bathtub just before a storm.  We have all seen footage of grocery stores running out of water just before a storm, and you don’t have to be one of those disappointed people who cannot find water just when you need it!

·       The food you set aside for emergencies will partially depend on whether you will be able to cook without electricity.  We were recently told a story of a woman who planned to stash plenty of cans of soup in case of a power outage until her friend asked her if she liked to eat cold soup because with an electric stove and no electricity, she would not be able to heat up her cans of soup!  Time to re-think that plan!

·       Stock up on healthy foods, not empty calories!  We often hear of people going to the grocery store just before a storm and stocking up on crackers, potato chips and other foods that are not nutritious.  With the stress of a storm, our bodies need all the nutrition we can give it, not just empty calories.  Giving some thought about what you will eat during a power outage is well worth the effort, because you will handle the situation better if you eat healthier foods. This is where meat and potatoes will run circles around a plate of tofu.

·       When the sun goes down, it is important to have some lighting.  LED flashlights and lanterns are safer than candles because having an open flame in your house is a fire hazard.  If all of your flashlights and lanterns use the same size batteries, this will simplify your battery stash.  A headlamp worn on your head or on your hat will keep your hands free, and portable solar-powered lighting can be used inside the house at night and can be brought back outside to charge during the day.  There are also solar-powered, motion-activated lights to provide outside lighting for security purposes. We have one of these solar-powered units out in our back yard and it is great for illuminating the area in case someone or something strolls by....

·       Being able to monitor the progress of a storm means that a NOAA weather radio should be included with your supplies. There are many different types of radios that you can buy to keep informed of a storm's progress. We use a Midland ER310 radio with a rechargeable battery, plus the capability to use AA cells, plus a crank. This thing is awesome.

·       Consider purchasing a portable power station that you can set up to run a TV and charge your cell phones.  Portable power supplies come in many sizes and can also be used to operate a fan.  Remember that regular battery-operated fans devour batteries. We own two portable power stations, a Jackery Explorer 2000 in Lithium Ion and a Jackery Explorer 2000v2 in LiFePo4. Do what we did. Get what you NEED and buy good units.

This article very briefly covered just a few considerations for prepping for a short-term power outage.  For more in-depth information, please see our book, Real Life Hurricane Prep, Let’s Talk About That and visit our YouTube channel.

Stay prepared and stay safe!

Dan n Mary

(FPL truck photo above courtesy of FPL digital image library accessed 08/26/2025)

What will you do when the power suddenly goes out? Are you ready?