Prepare for a Long Power Outage and Know What to do after it Hits

Having an extended power outage in the summer is no picnic, though it may feel like one (in some negative ways). We’ve all experienced the power cutting out in both winter and summer, but a hot-weather outage presents unique challenges, whether it’s caused by a power-grid issue, a lightning strike or high winds.

Here are some tips for how to cope with a summer power outage:

Be prepared for a power outage

• Stock up on water if you know a powerful storm is approaching. Fill all suitable containers with tap water. While a storm or other type of outage seldom will affect your tap water, unless you rely on a well or a pump, you’re better safe than sorry.
• Have a complete first-aid kit available. Review its contents every year.
• Make sure you have some playing cards and board games. You likely won’t have video games or a TV available for entertainment. A few books that you’ve been wanting to read are a good idea, too (and candles so you can see the type.)
• Make sure you have a friend or relative across town (whose power might not go out when yours does) with freezer space just in case you have to empty your freezer of meats and other frozen commodities as a consequence of a blackout.
• Buy an extra cooler or two if you’ve only got one. These are handy for storing ice for a few hours at a time as well as refrigerating food.

Restock the cooler with ice each morning, assuming nearby stores that sell ice are open during an extended power outage.

• Buy a portable gas-fueled generator to power a few essential appliances, fans and lights. Make sure you operate it according to basic safety rules; foremost, don’t operate a generator in an enclosed space.

Even a garage with the big door open is not recommended. If you can afford it, invest in a whole-house standby generator. (Then you need not worry about all of these power-outage tips.)

Stay as cool as possible once the power cuts out

Assuming you don’t have an electric generator, one of the biggest challenges during a summertime blackout is staying as cool as possible when it’s extremely hot. This takes planning and discipline, but it’s possible if you manage your home properly.

1. First, it’s important to understand a simple rule. If the temperature outside your house is higher than the interior temperature, the windows and sliding doors should be closed.
2. If a breeze is blowing air into the house, this can make it seem a few degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler, but no more than that.
3. If it’s especially muggy outside, you should close up the house anyway, since that moist air will make the interior air seem warmer than it really is.

Take advantage of cooler night air by opening up the windows and sliding doors (assuming you have screens) once the outside temperature drops lower than the inside temperature. Unless the evening stays muggy and warm until the morning, follow this strategy:

• You might be able to get your home’s interior down to 65 to 70 degrees by early morning.
• Then, before the outside air starts warming up again, close up the house. That cooler evening air will keep your home cool for a few more hours than if you’d kept the house closed up all night.
• Keep the house closed all day, and then once the sun goes down, and the temperature starts dropping again, open all the doors and windows to once again take advantage of the cooler air.

Even during times when your power is working fine, these strategies are good money-savers on your energy bills, or in the event of a broken AC unit in your Cincinnati home.

A few other tips for after the power has gone out:

• As mentioned, stock up on ice every morning. If the power outage is affecting a lot of people, you can assume that ice will run out quickly at the few places that have it.
• Close curtains and drapes on windows facing the sun. There’s no reason to help the sunshine boost the heat in your already warm house.
• If you have a deck or patio, take advantage of it after the sun goes down. Make sure you have plenty of bug spray.
• Be patient. Eventually the power will come back on, and before you know it, you’ll forget the blackout ever happened.