Useful Tips For Surviving Unexpected Winter Storm Havoc
My youngest son Brett is a junior at The University of Oklahoma, where extreme cold is wreaking havoc across the state as well as a large portion of the Midwest and Northeast. This once-in-twenty-years storm is causing power outages, water shut-offs and the like, leading to more than one panicked text from my resourceful boy: “WTF do I DO??” Thanks to our friends at California Independent System Operator (ISO), I found some useful tips on what you should do if you find yourself without any power:
- Stay Home – staying indoors is best during a power outage.
- Make sure you have essentials – Food/water (a three to seven day supply), flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, extra medicine.
- Stay Warm – Layer up – In the extreme cold it’s advised to wear at least three layers of tops under an outer layer, two layers of bottoms,and a hat and gloves.
- Be careful of carbon monoxide – If you’re using a generator be sure to keep it outside at least 20 feet away from your home.
- Conserve power while you have it – turn off and unplug nonessential lights and appliances.
- Check on loved ones.
- Keep your pets warm.
What’s the longest you’ve had to go without power? Let’s conserve energy here in California so we can help our brothers and sisters (and adult children!) in neighboring states 🙂
John Young
