A Power Outage Can Occur At Any Time -- Are You Prepared To Ride One Out?
Although the power supply in the Columbia area is stable, strong summer or winter storms can bring down electrical lines, knocking out the power. It's easy to ride out a short-term loss of power, but outages that last overnight pose problems not just for you, but also for your home. Being prepared helps you get through a loss of power comfortably and safely.
- Be sure that you have enough batteries for your flashlights and a portable radio.
- Know how to shut off the water and drain your pipes for a long outage in the winter.
- Have enough gas in your vehicle so that you can leave the area if the outage is expected to last for hours or days. This is especially the case in the winter and summer when temperatures in your home might become uncomfortable or even dangerous.
- Do not keep opening your refrigerator or freezer to access the food. Having an instant-read thermometer lets you check the temperature of the food when the power returns. If it's been above 40 degrees for any length of time, consider throwing it away to avoid food poisoning. If the outage is a long one, cover the refrigerator with blankets or put the food and ice in one or more coolers to keep it cold. In the winter, you can set it outside to let nature keep your food cold.
- Keep shelf-ready food in the pantry that you can heat outdoors using a camp stove or a barbecue. Never use a barbecue indoors because of fire hazards and the carbon monoxide that they emit.
- Dress in layers for a winter power outage to stay warmer. In the summer, take lukewarm showers to cool yourself if your home gets hot. Drink plenty of water.
- Turn off your electronics, especially your heating and cooling system. Power surges can damage any kind of electronics. Keep a light on so you'll know when the power comes back on.
- Never touch or get close to downed power lines and do not touch anything where the lines are resting.
- Consider having a standby generator for your home, which kicks in when your power goes out.
Contact Comfort Services, serving the Midlands of South Carolina, to learn more about these generators and how they can help you weather a power outage.
