Your local public power utility enlists routine maintenance and electric system upgrades to keep the town’s reliability as consistent as possible.  However, inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances can always occur and cause power interruptions. Your local utility wants to make sure that you and your family are prepared for those unpredictable situations when the power could go out.

One thing your utility highly recommends is creating an emergency kit—a collection of supplies that can help you through emergency situations or a prolonged outage. A basic emergency kit could include the following items:

• Water—one gallon per person (or animal!) in your household is recommended
• Flashlights or battery-operated lanterns and appropriate batteries
• A first aid kit
• Non-perishable food items
• A manual can opener
• Extra batteries
• A cooler, in case you need to move food from your refrigerator to keep it safe
• A weather radio
• Portable phone chargers

Having an emergency preparedness kit with these items makes dealing with emergency situations a little bit easier. 

In the event of a power outage, the first thing you should do is gather everyone in the home to ensure everyone is safe, then distribute lights and equipment that may be needed from the kit. Next, let your local utility know that you are experiencing a power outage. Once the utility is aware of your situation, it’s advisable to unplug all of your electronic devices from outlets to prevent potential damage from a power surge once electricity is restored. An unopened refrigerator can stay cold for up to four hours, but if an outage goes beyond this limit, be sure to store perishable food items in a cooler. If you have a generator for backup power, always run it outdoors and away from windows to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. While candles are a nice source of lighting during a power outage, be sure to use them safely and never leave a lit candle unattended. 

While the staff and leaders of your local utility take every step necessary to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, the utility’s personnel want to make sure you and your loved ones remain safe, too.