How long can you survive without power? A few days?
If you’re not prepared, your survival chances might be less than that.
Electricity powers our supermarkets, pharmacies, and gas stations. Without it, things can go sideways.
Knowing how to prepare for a blackout might seem like an easy thing, but when it comes to surviving, you can’t be complacent about it.
Here’s what you need to do to survive blackouts if one was to happen TODAY:
Understanding What a Blackout Is
You might think that everyone knows what blackouts are. Still, you’d be surprised because many people actually can’t define it. Even more, a lot of people will call any type of power interruption a blackout.
So how can you better understand what a blackout is? Simple, you compare it to another persistent type of power interruption—brownouts.
Defining Brownouts
A brownout (also called a “sag” or “dip” if it lasts for only a few seconds) is the opposite of a power surge. When a sudden and partial drop in voltage happens, followed by a quick recovery, then we call it a brownout. You know, those moments when the lights in your room seem a bit dimmer? Yup. That’s it.
Brownouts are indications that the power demand is suddenly but momentarily greater than the supply. They’re potentially more dangerous since they can cause appliance failure or, worse, complete appliance malfunction.
Along with that, brownouts are usually strategic measures that power companies implement to avoid complete blackouts.
Defining Blackouts
Meanwhile, a blackout is a total and complete disruption of power and electricity. Blackouts can last hours and, in extreme cases, even weeks. But compared to a brownout, your appliances are safer when a blackout happens simply because the appliances in your home will just shut off.
While a brownout is a strategic measure, most blackouts are caused by things out of a power company’s hands. We’ll talk about that a bit more in the section below.
What Can Cause Blackouts?
When a blackout happens, there can be a lot of different causes. It’s never one particular thing time and time again, and it’s essential to keep that in mind so that you don’t slack off.
You don’t want to be sitting in the dark, twiddling your thumbs, and waiting for the power to turn back on when it might not at all.
So what can cause blackouts to happen? The more common causes include:
- Damage to electrical lines
- Damage to substations
- Power station faults
- Electricity mains getting overloaded
- Short circuits
But what other causes should you also focus on? Here are a few to take into consideration:
- Cyberattacks
- Solar flares or solar storms
- Electromagnetic pulse attacks (EMP)
- Natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes
Now you can better equip yourself and plan for blackouts accordingly.
What to Do BEFORE Blackouts
Some might think that knowing what to do during blackouts is the most important thing.
The truth is, preparing ahead of time is the key to not panicking when a blackout happens. Preparing everything in advance and making a plan that covers all your bases is what prepping is all about and prepping for blackouts is no different.
Here’s what you have to do:
Plan your family emergency plan
When it comes to emergency planning, it helps to keep your family in the loop so that everyone is on the same page, especially during blackouts. Your family members will know where to head to, who to contact, and above all, what to do. Panic is something you want to avoid and having an emergency plan in place helps diminish that fear.
Plan your bug out plan
Aside from a family emergency plan, think of your bug out plan, too. You’ll want to look for an alternative place to bug out if a blackout lasts more than a few days. Things you’ll have to plan out:
- How to get there
- What routes you’ll take
- What supplies to bring
- What supplies to prep at your BOL
- Back up routes
You’ll need to make plans on how to get there, the routes you’ll take, what supplies to prep there, etc. Get that out of the way, and bugging out will be a breeze should you ever need to do it.
Stock up on essentials
As much as possible, you wanna be prepared when a blackout happens, so stocking up on the essentials is non-negotiable.
Food
Prep food that doesn’t need to be stored in the refrigerator. Go for canned items, instant ramen packs, cereal, and the like. When blackouts happen, you’ll have to eat the food in the fridge and freezer first, then you can move on to your non-perishable supply after.
Water
Aside from food, you’ll also want to have a supply of water available, both drinking and non-drinking water. Make sure you have at least 2 gallons of drinking water per person PER DAY, good for at least 2 weeks. Ensure you store your water correctly and that the people in your home can easily discern your drinking water containers from your non-drinking water.
Emergency cooking fuel
Aside from food and water, you’ll also have to figure out HOW you’ll cook your meals if the blackout goes on for a few days. If your stove runs on gas, then you might be in luck. Other than that, having emergency cooking fuel on hand will be helpful. Some simple alternatives include outdoor cooking on the BBQ with some homemade charcoal or a DIY-ed rocket stove. If you wanna cook indoors, then an alcohol stove is a safe option.
Bonus: Bake snacks
If you’ve got a notice for a blackout in advance and you have time on your hand, consider baking some treats and snacks, things you can munch on while you wait out the dark. You can also go ahead and make your own jerky or hone your canning and curing skills.
Build your emergency preparedness kit
Besides prepping plans, food, and water, have a survival kit ready with all the emergency essentials. You’ll want to have a rechargeable flashlight on hand, a first aid kit, and other important survival items.
Look into getting a backup power supply
Suppose you rely on anything that is power-dependent, like a medical device. In that case, it’s highly recommended you look into getting a backup power supply.
Generators are a great option to take a look at. Portable generators are ideal for suburban homes, while solar generators are perfect for places that get plenty of sunlight during the day. You can even have a combination of the two to really cover your bases.
Prep some cash
In a world that relies on everything being digital, including your money, it’s important to have physical cash on you when blackouts happen. There’s a big chance you won’t be able to access online banking or your e-wallet when the grid goes down, at least for a few days, so having cash on hand is going to be a lifesaver.
Prep alternative light sources
Aside from having a rechargeable flashlight, make sure you have other options as well. Headlamps are one great option. You can also opt to use oil lamps or candles, but be careful since you’ll be handling open flames that can easily cause fires. Battery-powered lights and solar indoor or outdoor lamps are safer options, especially for the younger members of your family.
Think about your fridge and freezer
A lot of people worry about their freezers when blackouts happen, and they really should. You don’t want spoiled food in your fridge, and, of course, you don’t want to be consuming bad food or even just wasting the food you have in there. Prep your fridge by keeping ice in the freezer or having frozen water-filled containers at the ready. When a power outage occurs, you can use those to keep your fridge and freezer cool.
Think about your electronics
Aside from the freezer, think about your other electrical appliances, too. Power outages can actually destroy your appliances—the sudden surge when the power comes back on messes with them. What you can do to prevent this is to just keep electronics you don’t use daily unplugged. If you’re going to use an appliance, simply plug it back in and unplug it once you’re done.
Charge your gadgets and devices (and have alternative charging sources ready)
A task we so easily put off, charging your gadgets in advance is a must. Sure, your phone might be at 50% when a power outage happens, but don’t be a fool. Keep power banks, rechargeable flashlights and lamps, and any other useful gadgets on hand during blackouts. Have extra batteries ready, too.
Know how to operate your electrical garage door manually
Sure, you might know how to operate your garage door with the press of a button but make sure you also learn how to use it manually. The last thing you want is your bug out vehicle (BOV) to be stuck in the garage when a blackout lasts more than a few days.
Keep your car in tip-top shape
And with that, see to it your car is in good shape. A car isn’t gonna be of any use to you if it won’t run or turn on. Yes, you can walk to your BOL, but if you wanna be quick, a car or your preferred BOV is still the best mode of transportation.
Have a backup plan for your backup plan
If there’s a plan A, then make sure you’ve got a plan B. Even better, a plan C just in case. You can never be too sure of one plan, so having backup plans in place ensures a speedy escape somehow.
What to Do DURING Blackouts
Now that you know how to prepare for a blackout, your next step is to know what to do during one. If you geared up for it ahead, you just have to do a few things to guarantee everything is okay.
Here’s a checklist of things to do:
- Determine the source of the outage as best as you can
- Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly ones, to see that they’re okay
- Turn appliances off and unplug them if you haven’t done so already
- Turn the lights off (but leave at least two on so you know when the power comes back on)
- Try to stay cool or warm—depending on the weather—by wearing the appropriate clothes
- Stay tuned to updates via battery-operated radios
Along with things to do, there are some things you should avoid doing during blackouts. Here’s what to avoid:
Avoid using candles
Candles, if you’re not careful, can cause fires. In mere seconds, your house could go up in flames, so avoid using them as much as possible.
Avoid opening the fridge
You want to retain the cold temperature in your fridge long after the power goes out, so avoid opening it unless you really need to. An unopened fridge should stay cold for 4 hours, while a full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
Avoid using charcoal inside
Charcoal is a great way to cook your food, but it can quickly start a fire when used indoors. Plus, you wouldn’t like the soot and smoke going everywhere. If you’re going to cook with coals, cook outside.
Avoid non-essential travel
If you do not need to go out, don’t. It’s that plain and simple. Going outside during a total blackout is risky, and you want to stay as safe as you can. Staying put is the best option.
Avoid touching electrical lines
It’s a no-brainer, but just in case you get any ideas, do not touch electrical lines, no matter what. The last thing you want is to get electrocuted by a live wire.
What to Do AFTER Blackouts
Once the power is back on, don’t throw a party just yet. You have to do a few things to make sure your home is back to the way it was pre-blackout. Don’t worry, nothing too heavy.
Here’s what you gotta do:
Throw away spoiled food
Items in your freezer or fridge exposed to a temperature of 40F and are looking suspicious have to go. You don’t want to be consuming spoiled food and getting sick. Plus, it’s better to be safe than sorry. How can you tell if food is spoiled? Funky odors and bad colors are your warning signs.
Refreeze food if it still has ice crystals on it
If the food in the fridge or freezer still has ice crystals on it, then it’s still possible to refreeze and salvage it.
Check for spoiled medicine
Aside from checking your food, you also have to make sure your meds are okay. Some meds need to be at a specific temperature to remain viable, so some might get spoiled during blackouts. Do an inventory of your meds and check them.
Restock your supplies
Restock your water supply, food supply, extra batteries, and whatever else you used in the blackout. Restocking is vital so that you stay prepared for the next emergency.
Slowly turns things back on
As much as you want to turn everything back on, take it slow. Plug the things that need to be turned on ASAP, like your freezer or the lights.
Everything else can follow, preferably 15 minutes after a blackout. This gives you enough time to gauge if the blackout is really over. If a repeated power failure happens, it’s usually within the first 10 minutes after one has occurred.
Final Thoughts
Follow everything down to a T, and you’ll be okay during blackouts. Maybe you won’t be the comfiest but, for sure, you’ll make it. And in a world where survival is critical, making it through is more than enough.
Got other tips on what to do during blackouts? Let us know!
