Here's how to keep your family (and home) safe when the power goes out.
11 Things You Should Never Do During a Power Outage
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Power Outages
Power outages can be a truly terrifying experience. One minute, you’re casually enjoying dinner or an evening TV show, and the next your home is pitch black and completely silent. While there are a lot of things you can do to prepare for a power outage, it can still come as quite the shock. Unfortunately, a lot of the things you’ve been taught to do during a power outage can actually be quite dangerous. Read on for things you should never do during a power outage.
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Light Too Many Candles
Surprisingly, you won’t want to resort to pre-19th century lighting methods when the electricity is out. “Candles are wonderful, but they tip over, and they can cause a fire,” says Jim Judge, EMT-P, CEM, member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory. They also don’t provide strong light, he says, so you’re better off sticking with a bright lantern. If you do choose to light candles, be sure not to leave them unattended. You’ll also want to be careful about how a power outage can affect your home security.
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Open the Fridge
Every time you open the fridge or freezer door, you let cold air out—and it won’t be re-cooled until the power comes back on. Unopened, though, your fridge can keep your food at a safe temperature for at least four hours, so try to resist opening it unless absolutely necessary, says Judge. Learn how to keep food from spoiling during a power outage.
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Leave Your Freezer Half-Empty
Food in a full freezer will stay good for at least 48 hours, but that number drops to 24 hours for a half-full freezer, says Judge. Think about it this way: Your ice and frozen food are like ice packs, insulating the entire freezer so the unit doesn’t have to waste energy cooling empty space. Be prepared if there’s a storm in the weather forecast. “If you don’t have a full freezer, put water bottles in and let it freeze,” suggests Judge. “You can even take gallon-sized freezer bags to fill them up with water and put them in. They will fill in any space.” And don’t worry, you won’t go hungry thanks to these foods you can make even without power.
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Forget to Load Up on Water
Before a big storm, you probably stock your pantry with nonperishable food, but don’t forget about bottled water. If the power outage messes with water systems and causes a boil-water alert, you’ll want to have safe drinking water on hand. Judge recommends having one gallon of water for each person per day without electricity and having water for pets too. If you don’t want to shell out for store-bought water, empty and rinse old soda bottles or other big jugs to fill them with clean water before the storm hits, suggests Judge. Knowing how to get access to clean water is just one of the proven skills to survive any disaster.
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Let Your Phone Die
When you can’t watch TV and have barely enough light to read a book, playing on your phone or iPad for hours might seem like the only appealing option. But you might want to put it down to save battery, says Ed Lounsbury licensed electrician with T. Webber Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric. “Save your phone until you need it,” he says. “If the power goes out for a few days you might need it for emergency services.” If you can’t resist opening apps, make sure you juice up a portable phone charger in case your lifeline runs out of battery and you need to call for emergency services. Here are some of the secrets a 911 operator won’t tell you.
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Keep Electronics Plugged In
You should really unplug electronics before a storm hits, because a lightning strike creates a massive surge and could damage your equipment. But if you didn’t see the power outage coming, taking plugs out around the house could still offer protection against the electrical surge of the power coming back. “It’s always smart to unplug them, but there are ways to prevent them from being damaged,” says Lounsbury. Install a surge protector in an electric panel, or plug sensitive electronics into a surge-protected power strip, he suggests. Check out these other ways to stay safe during a thunderstorm.
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Unplug Everything
All that said, you should still keep one lamp plugged in during a power outage. “Leave one light on somewhere you’re going to see it when the power goes back on,” says Judge.  Learn how to manage 10 other everyday emergencies.
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Put a Generator in Your Garage
Hopefully, you already know that your generator gives off toxic carbon monoxide, so you should keep it in open air away from the house. But even with the garage door open, a garage is still too enclosed and too close to your home, says Judge. Leave it at least 20 feet from home to avoid the fumes. “It’s a colorless, odorless gas, and it doesn’t take long to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning,” Judge says. You could also try adopting one of these tricks, which are why Disney World rarely has power outages.
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Use a Flashlight You Haven’t Touched in Ages
Don’t be surprised if your battery-powered radio or flashlight won’t turn on when you need it most. You might think the battery is dead, but it could be a deeper issue, says Judge. “Over time, those batteries will leach acid that will get into the contacts,” he says. To make sure your devices stay fresh, he recommends having rechargeable LED flashlights on hand for emergencies, but keeping batteries out of your other lights and radios until you need them.
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Ignore Traffic Rules
Drivers can get confused at intersections when stoplights aren’t working, so stay alert and brush up on your traffic rules. “Oftentimes when the power is out, people blow through intersections,” says Judge. Treat it like a four-way stop, letting the cars drive through in the order they arrive.
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Go to the Closest Gas Station
During major power outages, don’t be surprised if your go-to station off the highway runs out of gas. “People are evacuating and using main thoroughfares and using those gas stations,” says Judge. “You could drive a mile up the highway in a side road and fuel is readily available.” If the power outage happens in certain seasons you’ll need to be extra prepared. Here’s what to know about winter power outages.
Originally Published on Reader's Digest
