Power outage emergency kit: Your checklist for when the lights go out

• Do you have a power outage emergency kit?
• It’s important to plan for a blackout.
• Follow these tips when the lights go out.

According to Scientific American, power outages are on the rise and they don’t affect everyone equally. During the winter and during hurricane season, the threat of a blackout increases. For this reason, it is important to have everything you need to stay safe when the lights go out.

First aid kit

When a power outage occurs, the risk of injuries of all kinds increases.

However, one reason to keep a power outage emergency kit at home is to make sure you have necessary medications to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.

Experts recommend buying a generic first aid kit and keeping it in a safe place.

In addition, it is important to modify it according to the needs of each member of the family.

Portable chargers and flashlights

During a winter storm or severe snowfall, it is ideal to keep all lines of communication open to the outside so you can access emergency services in the event of injury, fire, or serious damage to your home.

Given this, authorities recommend having a portable charger for your mobile phone that, in addition to being the point of contact with the outside, can keep you entertained while the power is out.

A flashlight is perhaps the most vital item in a power outage. You must make sure that your flashlights are working correctly at all times.

The most advisable thing is to use flashlights that work with batteries, since this will prolong their life and allow them to be available in any emergency situation.

Don’t forget batteries & multi-tools in your power outage emergency kit

Remember to always have a supply of AA and AAA batteries to keep your flashlights, radios and other items working even when the power is out at home.

It is important to have a sufficient number of batteries because, although blackouts do not usually last long, it is impossible to predict how long they will last.

In some cases when blackouts are the result of storms, there could be damage to your home that could put you or your family at risk.

With multi-tool, you’ll be able to turn off gas valves, water meters and even have the confidence to open doors or cabinets in an emergency.

Power outage emergency kit: Food and water

It is always advisable to have a supply of non-perishable food and water at home that can last for several days.

It’s important to choose items that don’t need refrigeration.

Soups, cookies, granola bars and canned fruits are just some of the options.

Remember to stock a sufficient quantity for the number of people who live in the house.

A radio and whistles

Your safety should be your main concern during a power outage and you should try to stay in one place as much as possible.

But if you need to move around whistles can be very useful. This is because, people often lose their sense of location or suffer unexpected falls in the dark.

Emergency radios are usually inexpensive and they could be enormously helpful, since you will be able to keep abreast of the instructions provided by the authorities to keep you safe.

The advantage of emergency radios is that they work with batteries, manually and even with solar power. Some radio models can even serve as emergency chargers for mobile devices.