Prepping - Ten Must-Do Steps To Navigate a Power Outage

When the power goes out, do you have a plan to efficiently get through it? Most people forget crucial things or are running around the house like a chicken with their head cut off trying to figure out what to do. These are the first ten steps you should do...in this order.
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Pinball Preparedness
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[@suz632]

During Sandy we used our solar stake lights indoors to illuminate bathrooms etc @ night. Just stick them in a vase or something to hold the stake. Bonus is you can recharge them during the day. Saved our resources like candles & battery lanterns. Thought I'd share this tip with everybody. Solar lights are cheap so stock up. We were without power about 2 weeks. It taught us a lot. Love to all. ❤🇺🇸💙

[@mark8964]

Good idea suz thank you ❤️👍

[@dangeary2134]

Don’t forget white Christmas Solar LED lights. For you guys out there that have more creativity than most…. A lot of those lights have a rechargeable battery in them. That means a free charger and a free battery, and a free solar panel. If I had the time, I would be buying a bunch of them, and making the panels into an array, and maybe have enough to charge or run something bigger than a flashlight battery!

[@ganggreen9012]

I bought a half dozen of the solar walkway lights from Walmart a couple of years ago. I put one out by my front steps at the time. That one charged well enough to produce light overnight for about 8 months and has gradually gotten dimmer and held a charge for shorter periods of time since then. The other ones are sitting on a south facing window sill, switched off maintaining a charge. I had a three day power outage this past winter. I was able to place the solar lights in strategic locations around the house and was easily able to see to move around, and do things like get dressed and food prep. I also have cheap, bright AA battery powered flashlights in each room for tasks that require more light. I didn't have a back up way to charge my phone, and was having to take it out to the car and run the car to charge it. I've since purchased a computer backup battery that I can plug my phone charger into.

[@carolinaprepper6603]

great idea

[@msgottaneedtoknow]

And another bonus is they won’t start the house on fire!

[@amishatheart47]

Thank you Mr. P for the useful information. I live in the city and shortly after moving into our current house, we had a tornado come through and knock power out for 5 days. Things wouldn't have been so bad if we had had any source of power, but we were unprepared. When the power was finally restored, our oldest son purchased a generator large enough to power the fridge, freezer and a couple of lights. Since then he has been about every three months purchasing solar powered battery banks, duel power generators and so forth. He told me he'll take care of the power as long as I take care of the food end.

[@cbass2755]

What a Son! You raised a good one dear…❤

[@amishatheart47]

@@cbass2755 - Thank you. He is a winner, I'll keep as long as I can.

[@susanm1224]

That is a great son.

[@LogCabinArtist]

Been through multiple hurricanes. Many long term outages. My list. 1. Have lots of water storage everywhere, and a bathtub bladder. Include a Zero water countertop filter system, with extra filters. 2. Faraday wrap one solar generator, have additional ones, even a couple small ones for different rooms. 3. Solar lamps, garden lights, candles, lanterns. Flashlights, tons of batteries. 4. Portable rechargeable/battery fans. 5. Portable ice maker 6. Ice chests 7. Multiple ways to cook outside, or sterno inside (always try to cook outside) 8. Spare pet food, cat litter 9. Extra emergency pantry preps that require no cooking for quick energy. 10. Wood, twigs, charcoal, sterno, propane, etc... 11. Fire starters 12. Extra meds, fully stocked medical kit. 13. Keep vehicles topped off at all times. 14. Spare brass, and train AHEAD OF TIME! 15. Boots, shoes that are waterproof. Extra socks. 16. 5 gal bucket toilet systems ( at leat two) with a garbage can of sawdust. 17. A stock of paper plates, cups, plastic cutlery. 18. Lots of garbage bags, 19. Tarps and tie downs 20. Duct tape 21. 2 5 gal. Buckets for laundry washing and anew plunger. ( one for washing , one for rinsing. Clothesline 22. Portable sun shower/ gravity bag 23. Carton full of unscented baby wipes for quick clean up.

[@Rose-ht3xc]

Great list!

[@rosezingleman5007]

My youngest son went through the Montgomery County MD (Bethesda) power outage from Irene, when Pepco power went out for almost three weeks in 100+f heat when he was only 19 years old. He was living in a tiny apartment and Wash DC went nuts. Here he was in a densely populated city, he still had to report to work every day as a line cook and work in the heat then go home where there was no power. He ended up in the DC Armory for shelter after ten days, then collapsed and was hospitalized for dehydration for five days, then *still had no power.* I tried to get him to come home (we had power seven miles away) but he was afraid to lose his meager possessions to theft. It taught him a lot of lessons about how governments can’t/won’t help you, ever, if only from incredible incompetence.

[@nancysmith-baker1813]

But it sounds like he took care of himself the best he could . Glad he's ok .

[@betsyr4724]

kudos to him. I bet he learned a lot

[@chelongogan3904]

With a heart condition...you need air conditioning.... and not to overdo it

[@wolfgirl7077]

Being from the Gulf Coast in 79 we took a direct hit from hurricane Fredric and without power for 2 months, we were totally wiped out. I was 7 years old and we were living with grandparents. Luckily grandpa was a fisherman so we ate really good. Had water and lived in tents. So from a young age i have always been prepared for anything.

[@susanm1224]

Hurricane Andrew was my wake up call. People who haven’t lived through a disaster and the aftermath don’t understand the need to be prepared and react.

[@SomeBuddy777]

THANKS SO MUCH 💜 1. Locate and gather immediate family. 2. Get out and unpack your Grid Down box 3. Set up lighting in common room. 4. Unplug unused electric appliances and devices. 5. As soon as a form of electricity is restored, plug in refrigerators and/or freezers. 6. Collect as much water as possible. 7. Try to determine cause of outage. 8. Check on neighbors or others. 9. Start a fire for cooking or heating water. Locate off grid cooking supplies. 10. Set up perimeter security.

[@Tri-Lobe]

Thank you for posting the actual list

[@andreawimer4334]

Great. I took a screenshot and am now on to something else.👍😀

[@Saoirse.n.Murphy]

Thank you for the list!

[@bmitch8302]

Thanks ❤

[@ultramagapatriot5874]

Thank you for writing it down! I was just fixing to do this and stick it to the fridge. Have a great weekend my friend!

[@voodooqueen322]

Just experienced 85 mph winds 3 days without power 2 weeks ago. I did just fine. I have blackout boards for all my windows, so at night no one can see my lights. Electric company had no idea when the power was going to be restored. It was 4 days for me. Yes, it was hot and humid. I had my echoflo mini and a USB desk fan I had bought from Dollar Tree. Pulled out a frozen milk jug and a wash tub. Placed the milk jugs in the pan and placed it behind the fan. I was reasonably cool. The jug lasted 2 days, so I pulled out a second jug. Rotated my blackout boards during the day to keep the sun from heating up the house. Another thing I bought online from Dollar Tree was those battery lights that stick up under my kitchen cabinets. You get 24 in a case. I put 6 under my cabinets last fall. They worked great. I have a solar lantern down plugged in my mini generator. Just to keep it powered up. Thanks to Rudy, I bought that 3 years ago. Went and set up my coleman camp stove on the top of my regular stove. Can't do without my coffee in the morning. Lol Made some sun tea and stuck a frozen plastic water bottle down in the pitcher. Now I was set. Couldn't check on my neighbors because trees were down so I then had to get my chainsaw and log chain to drag trees. That's when I called mayday, and my Mag came to help get the road cleared. Just incase the ambulance needed to get through for my elderly neighbor. She was fine. Her daughter came after the road was cleared and got her. You might want to make up emergency meals in bags. I pulled 3 out each bag has everything you need, including water, to make a one pot meal. This way, you don't have to dig around looking for things. For long-term outages, I have a setup that I will do in my living room, but that is for long term. Still cleaning up trees down on my property. One of the disadvantages of living on 31 acres of timber. Only lost 1/4 of my garden, so I feel blessed. Minor roof damage for having 3 trees on the roof. Set me back this summer on the projects I had planned, but I will get them done eventually. Have a great day!

[@susanm1224]

Great ideas, thank you

[@lindatown1193]

I lived through the ice storm in 1994? No power for 2 weeks, In Rochester NY. We had a fire place for heat, I took all the iceciles off the house and put them in a cooler for our food. Also had many flashlights, candles, and canned food.

[@GeorgiasGarden]

Very good advice. I have experienced two major events in my life. Lived through Hurricane Opal. That was the day I became a Prepper. A week in Florida without power makes you start thinking. All the things you said were great. So fast forward to Texas and the attic freeze. Yes it was miserable but we started our list immediately. One thing I will add on water. If you know that hurricane is coming fill your bathtub and if you have a top load washing machine fill it and pull the knob when full. That’s two very large amounts of water that can be used to flush toilets or in worst case boil to use as drinking water. Thank you.

[@Bloodhoundjed1]

We lived through that arctic freezer. We were without power for 32 hours, and thank goodness our pipes didn't freeze.

[@GeorgiasGarden]

@@Bloodhoundjed1 we lost power on that Monday. Came on late Thursday night. Tarp is a major prep in my opinion. We were comfortable in that space. Only left to check animals and get more wood. I was thankful for all those meals in a jar. All we needed was a pot to warm them up. We were prepared because we were being warned it was coming. I just started pulling out tubs and tarping off the living room. These events tell you were your holes in preps are. I’m thankful for each one.

[@commonsensekaren6508]

@@Bloodhoundjed1 thanks I didn't consider the washing machine

[@GeorgiasGarden]

Also in case you have never lived in Florida, Hurricane parties are a real thing. Neighbors come together grilling all the freezer, eating your fill and putting in on ice in the cooler. Alcohol was optional. Of course I was 26 so yeah alcohol was involved.

[@healthyfeelsbetter]

@Georgiasgarden I have always filled the bathtub but never thought about filling the washing machine. Great tip; thanks!

[@unapologeticfarmer7039]

You can turn off the main breaker to your house instead of unplugging every device. This will eliminate the need to unplug each item and then remember to plug them all back in. You will know when the power comes back on by neighbors lights or an out-building that is on a separate electrical branch.

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

I like this better .. there are things like garbage disposals that I don't even want to think about where the plug might be..

[@allanmartz3790]

That's what I was thinking as well, save all of your electrical devices.

[@katie7748]

​@@HealthyDisrespectforAuthoritymmhmm and the hell with moving major appliances to unplug them, especially if you're elderly and/or not physically capable of doing so.

[@msgottaneedtoknow]

Unless you have your generator running a lot of the power. Then you have to decide what to keep plugged in and what not to.

[@rebeccagreene5231]

You can also turn off individual breakers. Your main panel should have the major appliances listed on each breaker. I also put a small red dot 🔴 on the breakers I need to turn off when the power goes out. That way I don’t have to strain to see what’s written - I just look for the dots.

[@brendanelson1027]

Great tips! NW Florida here, so have weathered many hurricanes, including direct hits. Headlamps are wonderful additions to a power outages kit as they let you have your hands free for opening gates or whatever. We added some rechargeable headlamps this past year. Another useful item is battery operated fans. We have a couple 9 inch box fans that can be plugged in or run off D cells. These are very important as hurricanes always leave days of hot, drippy wet humid conditions behind them. Blessings from NW Florida!

[@swithers00]

SE Florida here. I bought several of the (5" I think) fans that run on USB, and keep several portable power banks charged and ready to run them. I've been eyeing a USB ceiling fan that I saw on Amazon too.

[@TUKByV]

If you own cordless tools, you may be able to get a fan that runs off the same batteries. I have one and it works well.

[@swithers00]

@@TUKByV I'll look into that, thank you!

[@livenletlive7537]

Lived through Hurricane Sandy. Without power for almost 3 weeks. We faired better than a lot folks. We were not flooded out. We had two gas generators for 2 houses with six, 5 gallon gas jugs each and 8 two gallon gas jugs. Learned a lot back then. Thought I knew a lot from watching what happened with Katrina. Made big pots of soup in the evening to take the chill out of the house. Also took out the big frozen turkeys out of the freezer to roast in the oven. Gas oven and stove just needed to be ignited because it was electric starts. Thank goodness for wood burning fireplaces. I always get my chords of wood in the early summer when no one else is thinking about a wood fire. We had plenty We get a flat of solar landscape stick lights every spring at $tree. We get the ones that have an on/off switch, so we dont use up all the light at once. Good to have for indoor lighting. We each have head lamps. Free's up your hands and extends outdoor chores as the sun goes down. Rechargeable batteries and their charging bank units. We have lots of extras, because they can only be recharged so many times. We have plenty of oil lamps, tea lights, candles...but I don't want to use them unless absolutely necessary. Would much rather use all the solar lights and battery operated ones. We also have fans that are lithium battery rechargeable. Enough to keep a breeze going in our home for every person and pet. Each fan will run for 24 hours or more, depending on the speed you choose. We now have solar generators with portable panels and this year we installed solar arrays on the property, so we are off the grid finally!

[@kimkramarski-smith774]

Outstanding video! Hurricane Charley 17 days no power. Hurricane Michael 28 days no power. Remember even the most prepared become weary ! Your ATTITUDE sets your success. I would suggest a tote set up for all family members that includes a few things for all ages. Board games , coloring books , cards , etc. To only be used during the event , in order to keep all pieces , etc. together. EVERYONE has a job. Gather wood ( kids) fill the extra water containers , etc.

[@ericarnaud7983]

Morning Pinball, drove back through around your neck of the woods yesterday on the way home from Kentucky...I have lived along the gulf coast for my entire adult life and most of my childhood at least close enough for hurricanes to do major damage. We learn early to prepare for hurricanes. Having lived through several I can attest that it is miserable being without power for a couple of weeks...no water, gas, lights, ac, refrigerator and no getting gasoline for generators until power starts to come on. Stay safe guys. 👍

[@Loraann54fi10]

2004, Hurricane Charley, Palm Beach Co FL. Three weeks no power and no water. Four little boys all under the age of 6. A pool with a tree in it, a piece of s*** generator, in August. I had gotten my family prepared and we weathered the situation quite well but we knew people who had not taken any steps to prepare beyond maybe three days of no power and water. They spent their time standing in lines for water and ice and food. My husband and I spent our time explaining to my three year old why he could not watch Teletubbies on the VCR. 😂That was when I began my prepping in earnest. We had three more hurricanes in that year alone. Then the next season Katrina hit New Orleans and I watch it all on TV. I remember thinking thousands are going to die. Why aren't they getting them out of there!?! I knew at that point we had to get out of South Florida. That same year 2005 hurricane Wilma hit us and that was that. I was done with the constant threat of being wiped off the map. We moved to Chattanooga then a few years later to a much more rural area. Anyway that was where my real training began. People complain about a week with no power. I say you don't know pain until you deal with a three year old carrying around a VCR tape for three weeks and as each day passes you become more and more evil in that little boys eyes because you won't let him watch his favorite show.😂

[@anncox4445]

😂😅

[@swithers00]

That was a miserable time. I lived in a western community where we had a private well. Without power we had no water. We still had to go to work though. So, we had to hook the generator up to the water heater to heat up water, then unhook that and hook it up to the well pump in order to take a shower. The generator couldn't do both at the same time. Then we had to unhook everything and secure the generator so we could go to work. By that time, we were hot and sweaty again. I was taking battery banks to work with me to charge them during the day so we could use them to run lights and a 7' portable TV in the evenings. Ugh! I was fortunate to have been able to secure a generator during that time. I can't imagine having a small child through all of that. On top of the power issue, the hurricanes had downed about 15 huge pine trees that we had to cut up and drag down to the road to be picked up. That took us months! I've always wanted to move to Tennessee. Congratulations on your escape!

[@Loraann54fi10]

@@swithers00 Thank you! I have a t shirt that says "Florida Escapee"🤣 I grew up in Palm Beach Co from "81 until 2005. I miss old Florida so much sometimes but that is gone forever I'm afraid. I still have friends down there but they just don't "get it." All I needed to finally make that move was seeing New Orleans after Katrina and our own hurricane Wilma. Good luck and God bless you and your's. Please know that there is still a lot of land up here and plenty of room for good folks.💜

[@susanm1224]

Oh my heart goes out to you. I am a native of South Florida so I too have lived through the aftermath. Lucky we were never devastated through them all. Your experience was so much like mine but without a young child. I can’t imagine what it is like from Ian. I have hopes to move to your area from North Florida but it seems the window of opportunity has just about closed for us. I am still hoping for a miracle or at least the cost of housing to drop.

[@anncox4445]

This was funny about her son, not the rest of it.

[@swithers00]

SE Florida here. Have been through too many power outages to count. 2004 was especially wonderful. We had Francis come through and lost power for 13 days. I had power for about a week and then Jeanne came through and knocked it out for another 11 days. Lighting tip: Find a way to shine a flashlight up at the ceiling. The light will bounce off the ceiling and walls and light a room pretty well. Those big square flashlights work well for this, but you could rig up something to hold others.

[@KarenWilliams-ql8gh]

Oh yes, 2004 was a fun year in Florida 🙂. Central Florida on the coast. Lost power with Jeanne for at least 11 days. Schools finally opened and one day later the air conditioner in my classroom went out for days. I was one cranky teacher!

[@marthadirkes3211]

One thing I never hear anyone suggest, but I think is very important is to store your solar generator along with an extra solar panel or two in a faraday cage so you can actually have power after an EMP

[@reneerupert5830]

I heard something interesting the other day that I had never thought of. They said instead of immediately getting your emergency lighting out wait a couple of days in case they drop another EMP to fry all the emergency power sources. Just a thought...

[@reversesnowbird]

Learned this tip from riding out 2 major hurricanes: Use food items in this order: 1)refrigerated items 2)frozen foods 3)canned goods 4)long term storage items.

[@susanm1224]

As a Florida native hurricane preparedness is a very high priority. Years ago when hurricane Irma came through we were without power for one week. This was a great test for preparedness/survival long term. Thank you for the list. I thought I had a good start to organization but this will really help.

[@robintaylor1084]

I lived in Largo Florida when Irma came over our home. We too had no power for a week. That taught me everything I needed to know about survival. I will never go through that again without being prepared.

[@susanm1224]

@@robintaylor1084 agree completely. I didn’t realize how much we have to do. On top of that where I worked had power so at least I was in the a/c for some of the day. It opened my eyes to who was a help to me and who wasn’t. There are so many more in the State now that have no clue what to expect. When Pinball says we are on our own; he is not kidding.

[@memawprepper]

Same here. We were in Clearwater. No power for a week. I had to go to work. Hubby didn't want me driving, so he would take me, get coffee at my office, charge his phone, and pick me up after work. Retired insurance agent, so saw a lot of the devastation firsthand. Better prepared now.

[@susanmusser9629]

We live in hurricane country. After IVAN we had no power for 17 days and then 7 days after DENNIS. We had a gas generator to manage but learned a lot of lessons. We got a whole house generator, gas stovetop, gas hot water heater and other supplies. Great list. I would add the security as soon as the storm passes. The looters come out quick. Also, secure your fencing for your pets and use crates if you have to leave.

[@dog-gone-it5944]

We were without power for 2 weeks several years ago during a hurricane. We have that covered. We live in Florida, so we kinda stay in that mode during hurricane season. That's the difference between us and the rest of the country. Back then, we only had 1 big gas generator. Now we have a whole house solar generator and 5 smaller ones. We have power covered. Unless it's an EMP or the rest of the house gets hit. Our electric company is awesome. They're on it before we call. That and our guys that do the roads. I'm impressed with our people here in this little town.

[@cbass2755]

I spent 18 hours last July without power. I fired up my gas generator and hit the switches I needed from my transfer switch. I was 69 years old then. I had my lantern, headlamp, flashlights. Camp stove to make pour over cooking and dinner (my fridge is on the transfer switch so I could open and close fridge) but I did very minimally regardless. I’m 70 years old this July and I’m ready

[@naomipalomarez3880]

cbass HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY😊😊😊😊😊

[@cbass2755]

@@naomipalomarez3880 Thank you!

[@PattymacMakes]

Excellent advice! I live in a Hurricane and nor’easter storm zone so outages are part of life here. Just about every one in the neighborhood has generators and we check up on each other. The last big storm was in 2016 when the area suffered major flooding. We lost a car parked on the street and a ton of stuff in the garage. But no flooding in the house thank God. It was 4 days of no power in the heat. I had camp stoves so we had soup and grilled cheese as hot meals and could boil water for coffee and tea. In those days I would use up everything in my freezer over the summer so I didn’t have to worry about losing too much food. I would fill coolers with ice before the storm and get everything out of the fridge I could and on ice. Now it’s different because I have food storage so keeping that going on solar generators is how I will keep them properly cooled. The only issue is that I have discovered that the fridge and freezers use a ton of power so they require more recharging than I expected. The heat and humidity make those items run twice as much as they would in cooler weather. I like to run on my generators now as training so I understand what to expect. And if it’s raining and cloudy for even part of a day once the generators are set up, it does become a struggle to keep everything running. I highly recommend attempting to run your generators before the emergency so you have a better idea of how much juice these things consume. Also, as others have said, in a storm cutting power at the box is important. But don’t just throw your main off and on. Turn off each breaker AND the main. When power returns, throw the main and then each breaker one at a time waiting in between. All that surge can blow out newly restored circuits. We have a whole house surge protector installed by my electrician when he upgraded our old panel but I prefer to save that for something unexpected and not in a situation where I have time to just cut everything off.

[@countrygirl4362]

Wouldn't blackout curtains serve as a way to keep neighbors from noticing you have lights on? Perhaps adding on contractors black garage bags over them or tarps Anyone else thinking along these lines? I may sound mean but I have no intention on letting ppl around me know what I'm up to

[@brad9745]

Great chat. Things I've definitely thought off. All my flashlights are rechargeable and kept charged . Yes I know emp would be a game changer. Thanks for the checklist. Can never be too ready

[@palominogirl2732]

I have a couple coolers handy (I use them in summer to get milk/ice cream/etc home from the grocery store). Like yesterday, when storms rolled through at 50 mph, I put the items I'll most likely use (things for dinner, milk, etc.) in these coolers. That way, I can go longer without opening the refrigerator door, and maybe not fool with the generators unless it is longer than a few hours. I routinely make ice cubes and put them in bags for the coolers. I have bottles of frozen water. In the barn, I fill up every water bucket and have troughs under the eaves (although we have totes full of water, too, but that is 'icky' water for the garden.) I have a TON of solar lights - strings, walkway lights, ones on little stakes that are cute, ones that hang. Last week, we bought six 'Woodshed Lamps' from Lehman's. Yes, I have other oil lamps, battery lanterns, etc., but these go on the wall with the mirror behind them. I have a bit of lamp oil (liquid paraffin), but we bought six gallons. We have a gas generator and a dual fuel (propane and gas). Water. Yes I can get water out of the well with a bailer bucket if/when we run out of fuel. Horses and dogs, I could lead to a small creek nearby. What a pain! But doable. What we need to finish: our small solar set up, and getting a couple small woodstoves in. I have them, some silly people got rid of them - one couple didn't like the wall space it took up and wanted to hang photos. O...K...I prefer keeping warm. I have a small fire pit, lots of propane/coal, etc., to cook on, main stoves are propane. And I just bought a spare propane stove in case they become illegal here in 'electrified everything' NY state. (But the Governor has gas appliances in the Gov mansion...) EDITED to add: I also have quite a few of those small jugs with spigots - I fill these up along with checking my big jugs of stored water - but you can't wash very well if you are pouring with one hand. Spigots by the sides of the sinks. Coffee pot full, etc.

[@Bloodhoundjed1]

I need to remember to start taking my cooler with me again to the grocery stores. It gets pretty hot here in Texas in the summer.

[@naomipalomarez3880]

@@Bloodhoundjed1 West Texas here--it was 109 yesterday -being a Texan you learn 3 things-WATER-WATER-Water and an igloo or cooler 😊

[@dudeseriously79]

Headlamps are great too. I have a few of them. A couple of them are rechargeable. A D battery lantern is great too. 150 hours on the lowest setting.

[@closetprepper894]

After 4 days of no power in the cold, and unable to cook on my grill burner because high winds blew flame out: I bought a house with a fireplace and am stocked up with supplies! Never again - it was horrible. I happily went to work (had a generator) for warmth and hot meals

[@donoliver96]

Thanks to Pinball and Elliott I have bought my 5th solar generator I worry no more

[@amypatterson3127]

About 3 weeks ago we had a major power outage due to a storm. Our town and surrounding ones we're out for about a week. Luckily we're in the country and had plenty of gas for the generator along with other things. 1st time the generator was up I filled all bath tubs to flush toilets, gallon jars for our uses and all the pets & livestock bowls/tanks. My husband went into town a few times and said few stores were open. The few open ones were sold out of most essential. People were lined up for hours at gas stations and those started running out on day 2. From the scanner traffic,, burglaries picked up, in town, by day 3. By day 5/6 we noticed some out of the norm vehicles slowly driving down the road looking around. We're in the East Texas "heat advisory" time of summer. We ran the generator 2 hours on and 2 off the entire time and didn't lose anything. We've only ever lost power like this one other time, that was in the winter. Definitely learning experiences.

[@blessit2069]

Good morning Mr. P and Everyone. Thank you for always helping the community on all basics, and everything we may miss. Tyfs and have a blessed day.

[@tessab.2065]

We were without power for 14 days in a 2007 ice storm in Missouri. We did better than many, but are much better prepared now. Thank you for the tips, Mr. P.

[@ShannonSmith0805]

In April 2011, we were without power for 8 days. That's the reason I began prepping. All I could think as I held my 1 month old was what are we going to do.

[@theonewhomjesusloves7360]

Just an FYI, I have a friend who who lives on oxygen due to lung cancer, she recently bought a house in a rural area, she found out the fire dept will supply her with a generator for free in case the power goes out. Sure enough, they dropped off a a generator that will run her whole house.

[@theonewhomjesusloves7360]

@@FloridaEbikes you know what? I'd rather buy that with my tax dollars than fund cocaine at the white house, ok???🤷 So you should be glad some money is put to good use. She pays taxes too in case you didn't figure that out. So she's paid for that generator 100 times over mr man.

[@GGsGarden]

Thx for list. Re: at night. I keep battery lantern on nightstand by corded lamp. If corded doesn’t work, light’s within reach. Have a blessed day.

[@whynot2934]

Been there. Each experience teaches us something new. We have learned a lot. My recommendation would be to report outages to the power company, asap. Your address and your neighbors. Don't assume someone else reported the outage. Power outages seem to happen at night. Our bathrooms have nightlights with emergency lighting. (We take some with us when we travel, too.) Bathrooms can get very dark w/o power. We keep a camping lantern on top of our fridge. Easy to find, even in the dark. Camping headlamps are a great way to keep your hands free. Puzzles, boardgames, and cards are great entertainment. Unplugging electrical appliances can save them. A power surge killed our oven. Stock up on paper plates and aluminum foil, so if you are without water, you can cook either in foil pouches or line your fry pan with foil. In addition to potable water, have gray water on hand. Flushing toilets and extinguishing camp fires. (Losing water is hell.) Try to have 2 gallons of potable water per person per day for 2 weeks. If you have a portable generator, learn how to use it...preferably now. Determine where you would place it, away from house windows & doors. And get a good chain & lock so you can keep it and multple battery operated CO detectors. Generators do NOT need to run continuously. Your fridge and freezer will be fine for a few hours, especially at night. And your neighbors will be grateful. However, if in a storm, keep an eye on your sump pump though. Bad guys can go through your neighborhood and simply listen for portable gas generators, especially at night. Try to always keep some water bottles in the freezer, so they become mini blocks of ice. During an outage, move them to the fridge to help keep the fridge cooler. Getting fuel when the area doesn't have power is tough. If you can find an open station, the lines will be long. Keep a book you’ve always wanted to read on hand. Unfortunately/fortunately, power outages don't phase us anymore because we've practiced, albeit not by choice. Losing water was tough, and we only went through maybe 3 days without it. We now have rain barrels. 😀

[@truthseeker5833]

Aloha and good morning! I remember back in 2012 blackout! We have a generator and was a huge necessity! One week was fine. However, a long stint would be a challenge since we live in the country! We are prepared! Mahalo for bringing up this subject! 🙏🏼🕊🤙🏽🌺🇺🇲

[@oops8985]

Number one thing of advice i have to give for power outage in cold weather. GET WOOD STOVES! I would never own a home without wood stoves. Heat and cook! Fireplaces work too, but lack heat of stoves and use way more wood. Most of heat goes up chimney and pulls cold air into house from everywhere else.

[@thespeechlady]

Good morning Mr. and Mrs. P. We recently had a 65 hour power outage due to storms. All refrigerated foods had to be replaced. Cooking on the Coleman was fine. The nights were miserable hot in the Deep South.

[@gd5956]

I'm working on a water wheel generator without access to a creek using physics once I succeed I will send you a video of my idea

[@BradfordHomestead]

We had 4 days no power in 2020 but fortunately was during April. Your tips are exactly the things to do! Fortunately our water was still in service and with my gas stove, I fed everyone( neighbors). We built a fire and had s’mores, hotdogs, and a good ole fashioned time!

[@texbex9928]

I have 2 light bulbs that charge when the light is on and if the power goes out they automatically come on. I need more!! If they come on during a power outage, you cannot turn off the light but the bulb is not hot, so you can unscrew it to conserve the charge. A few weeks ago there was a terrible storm that came through northeast Texas and Louisiana. My power was out 3 days but many were out for up to 2 weeks. I used that light at night as needed and unscrewed it right away and it lasted the whole time. Don't forget to put one of these in the bathroom!

[@missystevens8714]

Pinball and coffee, gonna be a great day. We went 6 weeks without power, after Townsend flooded. Thank God it was during the spring. And a neighbor loaned us a generator so our son 3yrs old at the time could watch his cartoons.

[@jeffchanly5164]

I shut main breaker off to help with power surge

[@TUKByV]

Good list! Our power went out the other day. It was just our corner of our block. It was a good test run. We have some weak points. The power company's time estimate went from 4 hours, to 3, to 9. It was over 11. I always just assume 24 hours minimum. One thing that made us comfortable when some of our neighbors weren't is battery-powered fans. One came with my cordless kit. Works good even on Low! I didn't need a fan, though. I kept watch until the power came on.

[@jabneel7]

Good morning Pinball. You are appreciated .

[@nancyemery4717]

Thank you So much for this practical list! It really helped me get organized. May God continue to bless you and Mrs. P!

[@OldesouthFarm]

We just had one branch from a tree down and took the wire down. It took 3 days for them to get here and 1 1/2 hours to fix it. I have 2 gas generators, 2 solar generators. The solar is worthless when it is cloudy and raining constantly. I charged solar generators at night, left freezers unplugged at night to charge them on the gas generator. If the electric goes out long term I plan to can as much meat as I can as fast as I am able. Also warn children, creep predators swarm during disasters. Warn them to avoid strangers who gather children during these times to traffic them.

[@inthewoods3237]

Good advice for folks who don’t experience it commonly, heck where I’m at 1st step is to report it to power company. Usually it already says on the site they know. I was 600+ miles away once and talked my wife through pushing our 12k generator to the power pole, killing the main, hooking up the cord and starting it up! I got home next day while she had everything but hot water and stove! So common in our area I built a generator shack by the pole! Wish I’d win one of your solars for just running a couple things so we don’t have to run the big boy!

[@dustyhavens4373]

Hit the nail on the head!!! Thanks Pinball , few things I did not think of!

[@CynthiaRockroth]

Note, setting a light sourse in frount of a shining surface will bring more light to an area. Like a mirror.

[@lindabopp6579]

Funny you put out this video today. My power went out at 10:30pm last night. Got a flashlight knowing where my husband was ( in Bed sleeping ) and my dogs were at my feet I called the power company to report the outage. Set up some lights so we would not have a problem getting to the bathroom in the dark. Then just went to bed. Got up in the morning husband was already up power was on he said it was on at 4am. That was just a short term outage. Thanks be to God. Thank you for the information Pinball. Have a blessed day 🙏❤️🙏

[@scottlanghoff8729]

What started out as a Sears Craftsman 2500 watt Gas Generator & a stash of Fuel before Y2K to keep our Refrigerator & Freezer going, which morphed into a 4 Kw Solar System with a 250 AH Battery Bank in 2005 for the same purpose & then some (it served us well in the Great Southwest Blackout of 2012), has further evolved into a 8.6 Kw Solar System with a 450 AH Battery Bank that will power my whole house this year. I also have two EcoFlow Delta 1300’s with two sets of panels, all in a Faraday Box (thinking of adding one more), and STILL have that Craftsman Generator… Two Fireplaces (one Natural Gas, the other a Buck Woodstove Insert with a stash of Firewood), and I’m in San Diego! A Propane Grill as well as Tabletop Hot Plates (both Gas and Electric), with a stash of Propane. I’m thinking of upgrading my water heater to electric, although my current gas heater is virtually brand new… I have a stash of water, with a fresh-water reservoir not too far away, and Filtration Equipment. An stocking the pantry is an ongoing process! Medical Supplies, an Armory… I need to develop a MAG on my Cul-de-Sac… “A Country Boy can Survive”! I miss the America I grew up in! Ain’t Democratic Communism Great?

[@peacefulprepper8567]

Good morning Pinball Family! Hope everyone has a safe and blessed weekend! Thank you, Mr. P, for all the great info. You help so many!

[@rcx7093]

We just had a half hour power outage to perform repair work. We were called the night before, so we planned around it

[@moonchild8500]

We are in South Carolina.. after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 we were without power for 12 days some of my family didnt have power for 21 days but neighbors united and shared everything but that was a different time😢

[@Pcsadams]

I routinely loose power in the TNChattanooga area due to the large trees in the area so I try not to panic. I'm better prepared for longterm power outage than I was in 2020 during the tornado as it took 9 days for power to be restored.

[@ShoreSkeptic]

I survived Hurricane Sandy and was without power for 2 weeks. Thankfully, we had a fireplace, gas stove, and a full hot water heater. I learned a lot from Irene the year before. If a storm is predicted to hit (and you have the time), I recommend: 1. Fill up the gas tank on the vehicles & get extra for chainsaws, generator, etc. 2. Make sure all laundry and dishes are done 3. Get a haircut. 4. Move a large quantity of firewood into the garage to keep it dry. 6. Get extra cash out of the bank. 7. Charge everything (phones, tablets, batteries) 8. Bring all patio furniture, grills, etc. indoors. (You would not believe how many people DON'T do this.) 9. Sleep downstairs incase a tree falls on the house.

[@lulaporter6080]

Plug up the boat and let it fill with water after you remove the gas tank if you can. I put an old plastic canoe under the house eaves to collect flushing water.

[@RUPrepping]

Such a great message PB. Every single step is crucial. Brain rewired since the rona....so thankful for the lessons learned!

[@Damselfly54315]

Very used to the WHO'S GONNA HEAR FROM EVERYONE IF THEY PANIC...While in the ER with my mom a tree fell over neighbors driveway, they called me to find someone to get the tree cut up and moved, lol...said call around im kinda in an emergency situation, they tried, and tried, i finally get home, one phone call, 20 min and tree cut up and removed from driveway....I'm the Momma of the Ridge...but thankfully not all as helpless as this one at helping themselves...lol

[@amandamoe523]

This is excellent PB!👍Personally first thing I do is go outside n start my car (emp) then I come back in n full my bathtub with water. Also, folks should keep all their small solar chargers and batteries in an EMP proof bag (amazon)

[@reversesnowbird]

We were ground zero for both. Hurricane Charley 2004: 26 days without power Don’t remember how long without city water 2 months without landline 📞 Hurricane Ian: 8 days without power City water available. Boil water notice. Cell phone service through the entire storm and afterwards.

[@Buttercup624]

I realize this was for power outage, but for our hurricane prep and bug out we kill the power at the pole, shut off the gas and water at the meter. Thank you Pinball! 🫡

[@conservfriends9651]

Great information! Thanks Pinball!

[@HZ-qc2qu]

In 2016 we had a significant hurricane that caused power loss for almost a week needless to say that’s when our prepping journey began.

[@kathyhimes2065]

Good morning, Pinball! Thank you for this information. For many years, our neighborhood used to be the one that had power when other neighborhoods around us did not - even in the midst of severe storms. Now, we experience power outages a few times a year, ranging in duration from a few minutes to several hours, in good weather or bad. Not fun when the sump pump needs to be running. These tips will be very helpful! Appreciate it!

[@bobc9744]

Morning PB. Funny you should post this video today. Minor power outage here from a storm yesterday. Out from 2 to 8 pm. No biggie for me. Plugged the fridge and led light into the backup solar system. A few years back I installed an outlet in the living room wall that runs outside to a plug. It's dedicated to the generator only. There's a power strip plugged into that outlet at all times. Just run extension cords to the freezers and other needed components, head up to the garage, fire up the generator and attach extension cord to plug outside. Power for what's needed. For cooking I have one pound propane tanks with the screw on cooking attachment. Can cook whatever I need to. Also a propane wall heater hooked up to a 100 lb tank outside and 6 20 lb tanks that are always full incase of winter power outages. Pantry full of food and water too. You can never be too prepared. Lol Have a great day PB.

[@cindybell5765]

Thank you. Excellent topic

[@Knitty.kat.92]

In the camping section of WM, they usually have ten-packs of little 3 inch flashlights. They cost about a dollar each, so I can put them throughout the house: each bedroom, each bathroom, wherever. I also keep a lot of batteries for them. This is for immediate use, before the lanterns, candles, and generator.

[@James-Johnson313]

Amazon sells bulk batteries, which are decent quality. They would be a great addition to your little flashlights.

[@Rose-ht3xc]

We bought a bunch of dollar store touch lights for all of the main rooms for my elderly Mom's house. They worked great and because they are round with a wider flat bottom, she didn't knock them over and were easy for her to find in the dark. We also bought a battery operated light strip for along her bottom bedframe that was motion detecting. Worth every penny!

[@carissalizotte8977]

Headlamps are a life savor!!

[@NOLAgenX]

On the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain power was out for a month after Katrina. Back then if you didn’t have a regular generator you were screwed. After Ida a couple years ago it was about a week. And the year before several days. The difference was amazing. For the latter two I had battery and solar lights, gas generator supplemented by several solar Portable power stations and running some AC window units. I’m even more stocked up in the supplemental power department now as well as 45 days of water! Power outage nightlights are plugged in throughout the house, and flashlights /battery lanterns squirreled at strategic points. Katrina was the lesson, Ida was the validation of that lesson.

[@01Woof]

Metal cooking utensils, didn't even think of that, great tip

[@sheliadean9548]

Mr P you always give great advice. I had done everything but number 4. I didn't think about unplugging everything in the house. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@vktravellog1242]

This might be stupid but I will definitely do some star gazing if there is a blackout. The skies will be amazing without the light pollution 😂

[@B.Moore-Ready]

Great information 👍back in 2019 we use to get roving blackouts at my old apartment complex for up to 2 weeks. Wasn't prepared than as I am now luckily people didn't freak out

[@denniseye8218]

Power outage’s also come from squirrels! We heard what sounded like a 12 ga. shotgun blast that shut down our power when a squirrel climbed up the pole that our transformer was on and made bodily contact with the wrong terminals and was fried instantly.

[@BrawndoTheThirstMutilator]

pro tip, fill the empty space in your freezers and fridges with as many bottles of water as you can right now. 2 liters, gallon jugs, whatever you have. Fridges and freezers are most efficient when they are full. As an added benefit, when the power goes out not only does your freezers and fridges stay cooler much much longer, but as the bottles and jugs melt you have a bunch of extra potable water bottles for drinking or cooking or whatever.

[@brendah4773]

This was a great video/advice. Definitely, one to save. I’m going to write down step by step for my boys

[@friend757]

Battery operated temperature monitor for refrigerator and freezers so you will know temp without opening.

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

Used to outages. People will be a problem long term til they're gone. Shut off the main would be a start. Propane canning frenzy too in worst case. Cast iron, grates and throw in some meat and veggies and let go all day. I still have blackout material for Windows left.

[@frankshort1448]

Morning pinball and everybody that happened to me this morning got up at 3 a.m. power was out it was at about 3 hours or so but I was ready

[@FourtySixx]

I just have a hyundai 13.75 kva diesel generator with transfer switch on supply ( and 400l diesel trailer). Powers the whole place. Got sick of running extension cables. We had no power for 9 days after big storms, generator definitely helpful. Also have solar/batteries and inverters for small appliances. Also winnerwell nomad large stove with accessories if things get tough

[@Addicted2Learning]

Good morning, all. Although we are now in SC, my husband is retired Navy and I've seen my fair share of power outages. In RI, we went through Hurricane Bob and were out of power for 5 days. In VA, we lost power for 7 days due to another hurricane. NOT FUN!

[@sonjaklein5592]

Good morning Pinball. I have rechargable lights. I keep these charged up. I also have battery operated ones.

[@Carolynfoodforest355]

I lived in Ft. Lauderdale in 1992 during hurricane Andrew. I owned a concrete block house. Thank God my house was ok. We were out of electric for a long time. I have been through many hurricanes in my 60 years here in Florida. I have learned to stay prepared. I always tell people to also get a couple cases of sterno and a sterno stove. A sterno stove costs about five bucks. You put your sterno stove on your home stove and you cook. This way when it's still raining from the hurricane or storms, you can cook safely in the house. Works well 😊

[@zippy2641]

Remove the top of the gelled fuel can with a can opener. Doubles the heat output - cook anything you want. You get about 2 - 20 minutes burns from each 2 hr rated can.

[@susanm1224]

Concrete house has gotten me through the storms too. Do you remember the tent city? Bad times.

[@trishaporte]

G’mornin Pinball and Mrs. P. Great list and suggestions.

[@joanrauseo2332]

Excellent list! Thanks

[@ritawelch4949]

If you're on a well have some water available to flush the toilet because the well pump will not work.

[@LeticiaWorboys]

Thanks for this Info Pinball ❤

[@hollyh9334]

Two weeks without power in '08 after hurricane Ike. We definitely learned where we had holes in our preps. You can bet that's all been rectified!

[@susanm1224]

Hey Holly. Yes, I agree. I also determined what holes I had when I actually lived the aftermath. I am reading the comments and seeing a few more preps that I can see the importance or convenience for.

[@sharistailey-floyd8034]

Thank you. 🙏💞

[@91CavGT5]

As I sit here listening to this video, I’m wiring my shed with 12 volt lights to the small solar system with a switch right next to the door to turn the lights on. I’ve got enough solar and battery capacity to run our fridge and freezer indefinitely. I also have an 8k BTU window unit air conditioner that can be installed in the master bedroom in our house. It is the largest bedroom so there is enough room for our daughter and animals to stay in that room. That 8k BTU window unit can run on the solar system during the day and if need be, I can run the generator to run the air conditioner at night. That generator can also run our water well to fill up the 110 gallon pressure tank. I’ve then got a 12 volt water pump that can draw on that 110 gallons of water and supply it to the house. We as a family have practiced this before and we can easily get by on 75 gallons of water for 4 days. I’ve also got 200 gallons of propane to run our gas grill. Since I live out in the country where I can look in every direction and not see my closest neighbors, and I also know all of my closest neighbors too, we are good. I live within 100 miles from the coast in south Texas so having extended power outages are a distinct, and inevitable possibility. We are prepared.

[@carmeturner43]

So apropos today! This morning I was awakened by a thunderstorm around 5 AM! I started looking at my phone and apparently started to doze off. My phone went off. Scared me! I thought the power had gone off! I looked at the tv, and the power light was still on for the cable box!😂

[@SlimShady771]

You have a circuit breaker box that protects your house from surges.

[@chuckfarley567]

Well Done !! A UPS / with alarm on a computer...will let you know of a power outage at anytime....rudely..

[@debbywelchel3893]

Thanks Pinball

[@charlescoleman4115]

Good morning from NE Oklahoma father day we had 100 + mile an hour winds and we were without power for 5 days we used our solar and we had enough gas stored to use her gas generator for a few days

[@wingmom2019]

Flashlight by every bed for those night time outages, within arms reach. Have a small one in each room as well. Side note: started listening to a book series this week on an EMP scenario. Just finished book 1 Chaos Begins. Narration not the best but has put a couple ideas in my head I hadn't thought of before

[@Bloodhoundjed1]

Are you listening to One Second After? We have flashlights scattered all through our house.

[@gratefulacres4107]

Step 1, when the cell phone doesn't work to call family, you should know to prepare accordingly (#7 already answered)

[@FrankGiunto-ct6yt]

Great information as always. Thank you