Power Outage Preparedness Guide
Introduction
Whether you are new to the Puget Sound area, or you have lived here your entire life, power outages are something we all have in common, especially on the islands. The wind can come in any season and during the winter in particular it can cause power outages across the area.
The following tips were compiled by Kicking Gas volunteers and team members, to help us all stay comfortable, safe, healthy, and fossil-free in our homes during a power outage.
Navigating Power Outages: Essential Tips
If you’ve recently electrified your home, or you are looking for tips on how to take care of yourself or your family during a power outage you’re in the right spot!
Power At Home During an Outage
When confronted with a power outage, our thoughts turn to staying warm, preserving food freshness, and maintaining visibility and connectivity. Typically, people opt for traditional gas or propane-powered generators as their initial response to prepare for such situations. However, at Kicking Gas, we strive to promote an alternative approach that doesn't rely on non-renewable resources.
One viable solution is to use a battery-powered system to selectively supply electricity to the essential devices you require during the outage. This includes devices like the internet router, refrigerators or freezers, or a phone charger. By adopting this approach, you can ensure that crucial functions are sustained without the inconvenience, noise, and environmental impact associated with larger generators. It's a practical and efficient way to tackle the challenges of a power outage while also prioritizing energy conservation.
At Kicking Gas, we believe in empowering individuals to navigate power outages responsibly, utilizing sustainable and renewable energy sources. By embracing a battery-powered solution for critical loads, you can proactively address the immediate needs during an outage while contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Here are a few battery options that we like:
Side note on “whole house” generators: If you still feel you need a generator during a power outage, consider limiting run time to reduce fuel consumption and noise pollution: Power up to restore coolness to the fridge or freezer, heat up the house, or run other critical electrical components only when needed. Not only will you reduce carbon emissions but gas waste.
Preparation and Essentials
Water
Store a minimum of 3 days' worth of drinking water per person (1 gallon per day). There are several ways to do this. You can buy water jugs, jerry cans, or water bricks, or if you have land to use, purchase a rain barrel and water filtration system to capture and store water.
Kicking Gas Clients are eligible for our Power Outage Preparedness Kit. In the kit, we included one WaterBrick. These are easy to carry, and have the advantage that they are collapsable and stackable. You can fill them at most grocery stores including Payless Foods and The Goose on South Whidbey. To keep water fresh, store it in cool, dark place, and rotate usage every year or two with no need to filter or boil when using. Label your bottles with the month and year of when it was filled and rotate through oldest to newest.
Tip! If you are aware of a big storm on the way—and especially if you are on a well —fill a bathtub with water for flushing toilets. Additionally, you can fill a feed bucket for each toilet and keep them on standby either by the toilet or just outside your house. These buckets can be refilled from the bathtub water, or from a rain barrel. One bucket equals one flush.
Personal/Family Medicine Supplies
If you are able to bulk up on your prescription and other medical essentials, have a 30-day supply on hand.
Communication and Weather Alerts
Many rural homes are deep in the woods or on side roads that are less frequently traveled. Help PSE attend to down or compromised power lines. Learn how to report your local outage to PSE: https://www.pse.com/en/outage/outage-map.
If your internet is down, report a power outage by phone: 1-888-225-5773
If you have access to the internet during an outage, check the PSE website to stay informed of power restoration times and outage causes.
Keep apprised of weather conditions through verified websites such as Weather Underground.
Tip! Build a community network! Get to know your neighbors and consider backup systems for communications. Some neighborhoods on Whidbey Island have orchestrated community disaster plans and developed tools and resources for surviving the unexpected together. Consider doing the same in your neighborhood and acquiring shortwave, VHF, or ham radios to stay connected in the event of an emergency. At the end of the day we all have to work together through challenging circumstances together.
Community Resources
Connect with local community centers like the library to learn about warming and cooling centers either at the library or nearby, wi-fi hubs, and charging stations during outages.
The following Community Centers are just a few that offer warmth, wi-fi, and/or charging:
Southern Whidbey Island
The Freeland and Clinton libraries are often open during power outages and, during severe outages, post information on their bulletin boards with helpful resources.
Island County residents can sign up to get alerts from County Department of Emergency Management.
Join local social media groups like Alert Whidbey 2.0 on Facebook Nextdoor to stay updated. Or use Twitter and search hashtags like “Whidbey” to get up-to-date information.
And of course, in advance of any emergency, get to know your neighbors and plan for emergencies as a group!
Power
Keep portable solar chargers on hand for charging small devices, such as smartphones and radios, or invest in a heavy-duty battery for charging devices, running wi-fi, or operating lights.
Goal Zero has some great solar-powered battery options here.
Family Emergency Preparedness and Planning
Communication: Create a detailed plan that outlines how your family will communicate, where you will meet, and what actions to take during a power outage or any other emergency situation. Assign responsibilities to each family member and establish an emergency contact outside of your area.
Assemble an Emergency Kit: Put together a well-stocked emergency kit that contains essential items for each family member. Include items such as non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, medications, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra cash, important documents, and a manual can opener.
Ready.gov Guidelines: Refer to the guidelines provided by Ready.gov for comprehensive information on creating an emergency plan and assembling an emergency kit. These guidelines offer valuable insights and recommendations.
Regularly Review and Update: Periodically review and update your family emergency plan and emergency kit to account for any changes in family dynamics, contact information, or specific needs. Ensure that all family members are aware of the plan and understand their roles and responsibilities.
Food and Meal Prep
Cooking Solutions That Don’t Require A Generator
Why is it that as soon as the power goes out, we all get hungry? Having a safe method for cooking on hand not only adds comfort and sustenance, but warmth. Consider a camping stove or solar-powered source of energy, for cooking or warming liquid.
If you have a wood stove, that is also a backup option.
ALWAYS CONSIDER SAFETY FIRST
Ensure proper ventilation and other safety precautions when using alternative cooking methods.
If you’re interested in having a clean-burning, portable, and efficient alcohol stove that can heat a liter of water in three minutes (and therefore coffee, tea, or hot water for a variety of uses) let us know and we can set you up
Food
Perishable Food: Perishable items such as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and leftovers are susceptible to spoilage when refrigeration is unavailable. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. A closed refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours, while a full freezer can maintain the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours for a half-full freezer).
Fresh Eggs: Fresh eggs can remain fresh and safe to consume without refrigeration, as long as they haven't been washed. The natural protective coating on eggs, known as the bloom or cuticle, helps to seal the pores, preventing bacteria from entering. If you have access to unwashed eggs, they can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place for several weeks. However, once eggs have been washed or refrigerated, they should continue to be stored in the refrigerator.
Non-Perishable Foods: In preparation for an emergency, create a backup supply of nonperishable foods including canned and dried goods, and don’t forget high-energy snacks like nuts! These items have a longer shelf life and can be safely consumed without refrigeration.
Safe Food Handling and Storage
During a power outage, proper food handling and storage are crucial to prevent foodborne illnesses. Follow these guidelines to ensure food safety:
USDA Guidelines: Refer to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines on food safety during power outages. Their website, foodsafety.gov, provides valuable information on how to keep food safe during emergencies. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines to maintain food quality and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Food Safety Practices: Adhere to basic food safety practices such as washing hands with soap and water before handling food, using clean utensils and surfaces, and separating raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination. Dispose of any perishable food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours.
By following proper food handling and storage practices, you can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and ensure the safety of your family during a power outage.
Extend Perishable Food Life
Have a cooler and ice packs on hand to keep perishables fresh and reduce the need to open your fridge, keeping perishables stable for longer. If the weather is cold enough (below 40˚F) you can also store your perishables in outdoors in a cooler or other food-safe container.
During storm season, fill excess freezer space with gallons of water to help maintain the temperature and extend food life during power outages.
Pro Tip! An InstaPot can run on even a small generator, and can quickly and efficiently cook a meal. Depending on the recipe, it may be possible to bring the InstaPot to temperature and pressure and then shut down the generator while the food “coasts” to completion.
Light, Heat, and Safety
Light
Keep and maintain a kit of backup light sources, such as headlamps, lanterns, flashlights, candles, and of course, extra batteries.
Your Power Outage Preparedness Kit
(Kicking Gas clients received a kit as a gift from the campaign team.)
We included an AlpenGlow 500 lantern in the Power Outage Preparedness Kit. They are pretty fun, and a lot to explore. We recommend clients watch the AlpenGlow instructional video. It’s time-stamped so you can jump around and shows you how to unlock every single feature in AlpenGlow. Here are some additional instructions for using the AlpenGlow provided by the manufacturer:
Practice Your Shake. To activate AlpenGlow’s internal accelerometer, shake the unit up and down like you would a spray paint can or a cocktail shaker.
Want true-tone illumination? Use the Warm Lantern setting. Your AlpenGlow features ChromaReal LEDs that help you see colors and textures more clearly in lowlight conditions. Use the WARM white lantern mode to access this light.
You can speed up or slow down by pressing and holding in cycle mode. Any time you’re in a setting that involves movement (candle flicker mode, color cycle mode, etc) you can press and hold the top button to control speed: the lantern will flash to RED, YELLOW, or GREEN signifying slow, medium, fast—release your finger on the desired speed and it will switch accordingly.
Heat Sources
Hot Water Bottles: Prepare hot water bottles by filling them with hot water from a safe heat source. Place them in beds or wrap them in towels or blankets to provide warmth during a power outage. Be cautious and follow safety guidelines to prevent burns or accidents.
Emergency Blankets: Keep a supply of emergency blankets in your emergency kit. These lightweight, reflective blankets are designed to retain body heat and provide insulation. Distribute them among family members to help maintain body temperature in case of prolonged power outages or loss of heating systems. Also, consider sleeping bags as a great extra source of warmth!
Layered Clothing: Encourage family members to dress in layers during a power outage. Layering clothing traps body heat more effectively than a single bulky garment. Opt for thermal undergarments, sweaters, and jackets as well as slippers and heavy socks to help retain body heat and stay warm.
Heat Pump Tip! Since heat pumps are zonal, if you are inclined to use a generator to power them, you can install a transfer switch to power one using an appropriately sized portable generator. We recommend against whole-house generators for a number of reasons, especially since they can use as much fossil fuel in a few days as some folks use in an entire year. A solar plus battery storage system is a much more effective investment!
In the Kicking Gas Power Outage Preparedness Kit, we provided a cotton blanket from Eighth Generation, a Seattle based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. Discover more: https://eighthgeneration.com/
Never use generators, grills, or other gasoline-powered devices indoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
As a year-round precaution, it is a good idea to install battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
Learn more about carbon monoxide safety from the CDC.
This is a real and important issue especially during power outages, but also part of why Kicking Gas is working to get South Whidbey Island away from burning oil, propane, and wood for heat—including during power outages.
Additional Resources
For further assistance and information, consider exploring the following resources:
American Red Cross: The American Red Cross provides valuable guidance on emergency preparedness, including power outages. Visit their website at redcross.org for tips, resources, and training options to enhance your family's readiness.
Ready.gov: Ready.gov is a comprehensive resource that offers guidelines and preparedness information for various emergencies. Their website provides step-by-step instructions, checklists, and downloadable materials to help you prepare for power outages and other potential disasters.
In addition to the above resources, you may also find the following products useful:
5-Gallon Water Containers: Consider purchasing sturdy, portable 5-gallon water containers to ensure an adequate water supply during an outage. These containers can be found at reputable retailers such as WavianUSA (wavianusa.com) or outdoor equipment stores like REI (rei.com). Make sure to follow recommended storage and purification guidelines for safe water usage.
Remember, exploring additional resources and acquiring relevant products can enhance your preparedness efforts, making your family more resilient in the face of a power outage or other emergencies.