Power Outages Surge Across the US: A Growing Concern
Power outages occur more and more frequently. But how to prepare for long-term power outage?
If we look at the data from the last 20 years we notice that power outages have significantly increased in the US.
The main reason is climate change. 80% of the power outages were due to weather: severe weather (58%), winter storms (23%), and tropical cyclones including hurricanes (14%).
Sadly, experts expect even more severe weather in the future.
Therefore, being prepared for long-term power outages is becoming important these days.
Our experts from poweroffgrid.com answer the question: how to prepare for long-term power outage?
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How To Get Power During An Outage
Most of the essential appliances in our homes need electricity. Think about fridges, heating systems, water heaters or even modern gas stoves.
Making sure you can keep warm, especially during winter storms, is crucial.
Being able to stock your food in the fridge as well is essential during a power outage.
Unfortunately, these appliances won’t work when you go off-grid.
During long power outages the feeling of being secluded can also cause discomfort.
Therefore, staying connected is also important. However, you will need to be able to power or charge your router, phone, TV, etc…
Step-By-Step Plan To Prep For a Blackout
- Stock up on Water
Being well prepared for a blackout will increase comfort for when it happens. Power outages can be unpredictable. When you face a power outage you don’t know how long it will take before you get back on-grid.
Best case, a few hours or worst case several days. Always make sure that you store enough water. You should store at least one gallon per person per day for drinking water. - Stock up on Food
Make sure you have a food stock as well. Think about non-perishable foods that can be preserved for a long time such as canned goods, dry foods and ready to eat meals.
TIP: Keep refrigerators and freezer closed as much as you can. - Stock up on Medical Supplies
It’s important to have medication and first aid supplies in stock. Keep a two-week supply of any essential medications and a well-stocked first aid kit.
- Have Flashlights or Headlamps ready
Make sure you have flashlights or headlamps ready for when a blackout occurs. Have a light for every member of the household. You can also use some candles as well but keep an eye on them.
Tip: When you have an empty water bottle made from white matte plastic you can use it to make a light for the entire room. Make a hole from the side and strap the headlamp around the bottle so that it shines inside the empty bottle. - Blankets during Winter
Be prepared for when a blackout should occur during a winter storm. If you do not have back up power to heat your room then you will need warm clothes and blankets to keep you warm.
- Plan your Power needs
Candles and blankets may do the trick but it won’t give you lots of comfort during a power outage. Therefore, it’s better to have backup power. A portable power station or solar generator is perfect for that. To be able to now what type of portable power station you need will depend on what you want to power or recharge and for how long. Some portable power station can charge you laptop a few times but other can run your fridge, router, heating and lights for instance for several days. Others are even able to power your whole house for a week! Make a list of appliances you would like to use when you go off grid and calculate how much power you would need. Then make an informed decision on what portable power station you should get.
Invest In An Off-Grid Power System
With an off-grid power system you can maximize comfort during a power outage, both short and long-term.
Traditionally one could think about a gas generator as backup power. However, these devices are loud when operating and constant refueling.
Also, given the fact that fossil fuels have a large impact on climate change, it would be a bit contradictory to use gas generators during power outages caused by climate change.
Today, there are better and greener alternatives: a portable power station with solar panels.
A portable power station is a large battery which is capable of powering several home appliances.
These portable power stations are available in different battery capacities and power depending on your needs.
Of course, a battery also runs empty. But by using portable solar panels you can recharge your portable power station during daytime.
Discover the portable power stations reviewed by our poweroffgrid.com experts.
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