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Tips for Getting Through a Power Outage
Keeping Your Family Safe During A Power Outage
Focus on children's safety and needs.
♥ Provide flashlights or light sticks for each child that they can keep by their bed and with them after sundown.
♥ Discuss living without electricity and how the outage is usually short term
♥ Turn inconvenience into their adventure
♥ Check on children who may be home alone during a power outage
♥ Never leave a child to play unattended by open flame or emergency power source
In the Home
Immediately unplug all heat producing appliances (ex. stoves, irons, coffee makers) to avoid fire incase they are
unattended when power is restored.
Food Safety
If the power is out for less than 2 hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the
power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.
If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, follow the guidelines below:
• For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold
food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
• For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into
a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
• Use a digital quick-response thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it.
Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit
Safe Drinking Water
When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking, and
personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Your state or local health department can make specific
recommendations for boiling or treating water in your area. Here are some general rules concerning water for drinking,
cooking, and personal hygiene. Remember:
• Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make
ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added. You can use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands.
• If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe
source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your supply is tested
and found safe.
• Boiling water, when practical, is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling
boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms.
• When boiling water is not practical, you can treat water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or unscented
household chlorine bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite):
* If you use chlorine tablets or iodine tablets, follow the directions that come with the tablets.
* If you use household chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon (~0.75 mL) of bleach per gallon of water if the water is
clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon (~1.50 mL) of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand
for about 30 minutes before using it.
Note: Treating water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or liquid bleach will not kill parasitic organisms. Use a bleach
solution to rinse water containers before reusing them. Use water storage tanks and other types of containers with
caution. For example, fire truck storage tanks and previously used cans or bottles may be contaminated with microbes
or chemicals. Do not rely on untested devices for decontaminating water.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
During a power outage, never use generators, grills, or other gasoline-, propane-, or charcoal-burning devices inside
your home, garage, or carport or near doors, windows, or vents. They produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless
gas that kills more than 500 Americans each year. If your home is damaged, stay with friends or family or in a shelter.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and
confusion. High levels of CO ingestion can cause loss of consciousness and death. Unless suspected, CO poisoning
can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other illnesses. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die
from CO poisoning before ever experiencing symptoms.
How can I prevent CO poisoning from my home appliances?
Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified
technician every year.
Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters (catalytic) indoors. Although these heaters don't have a flame,
they burn gas and can cause CO to build up inside your home, cabin, or camper.
If you smell an odor from your gas refrigerator's cooling unit have an expert service it. An odor from the cooling
unit of your gas refrigerator can mean you have a defect in the cooling unit. It could also be giving off CO.
Install a battery-operated CO detector in your home.
Never use a gas range or oven for heating. Using a gas range or oven for heating can cause a build up of CO
inside your home, cabin, or camper.
Never use a charcoal grill or a barbecue grill indoors. Using a grill indoors will cause a build up of CO inside your
home, cabin, or camper unless you use it inside a vented fireplace.
Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal — red, gray, black, or white —gives off CO.
Generator Safety Tips
1. READ AND FOLLOW the manufacturer's guidelines listed in your owner's manual for correct operating
procedures and power output capabilities. DO NOT TRY to run more appliances than your generator can handle.
Assess which appliances are most critical to your needs.
2. DO NOT CONNECT your generator directly to your home's wiring.
3. NEVER run a generator inside your home, basement or in your garage or near a window, door, or vent. ALWAYS
run your generator in a well ventilated area away from your home.
4. ALWAYS use heavy duty, indoor/outdoor rated extension cords to connect the generator.
5. DO NOT attempt to refuel your generator while it is running. Turn off all electrical appliances connected to the
generator, then turn off the generator. Let the generator cool down before you attempt to refuel it.
6. DO NOT store fuel to run generator inside the home or near the generator.
Cold
Hypothermia happens when a person’s core body temperature is lower than 35°C (95°F). Hypothermia has three levels:
acute, subacute, or chronic.
• Acute hypothermia is caused by a rapid loss of body heat, usually from immersion in cold water.
• Sub acute hypothermia often happens in cool outdoor weather (below 10°C or 50°F) when wind chill, wet or too
little clothing, fatigue, and/or poor nutrition lower the body’s ability to cope with cold.
• Chronic hypothermia happens from ongoing exposure to cold indoor temperatures (below 16°C or 60°F). The
poor, the elderly, people who have hypothyroidism, people who take sedative-hypnotics, and drug and alcohol abusers
are prone to chronic hypothermia, and they typically:
o misjudge cold
o move slowly
o have poor nutrition
o wear too little clothing
o have poor heating system
Causes of Hypothermia
• Cold temperatures
• Improper clothing, shelter, or heating
• Wetness
• Fatigue, exhaustion
• Poor fluid intake (dehydration)
• Poor food intake
• Alcohol intake
Preventing Hypothermia
• Everyone, especially the elderly and ill, should have adequate food, clothing, shelter, and sources of heat.
• Electric blankets can help, even in poorly heated rooms.
• Wear layers of clothing, which help to keep in body heat.
• Move around. Physical activity raises body temperature.
Helping Someone Who Is Hypothermic
As the body temperature decreases, the person will be less awake and aware and may be confused and disoriented.
Because of this, even a mildly hypothermic person might not think to help himself/herself.
o Even someone who shows no signs of life should be brought quickly and carefully to a hospital or other medical
facility.
o Do not rub or massage the skin.
o People who have severe hypothermia must be carefully rewarmed and their temperatures must be monitored.
o Do not use direct heat or hot water to warm the person.
o Give the person warm beverages to drink.
o Do not give the person alcohol or cigarettes. Blood flow needs to be improved, and these slow blood flow.
On the Road
Traffic Safety
o Treat all non working traffic signals as four way stops. Proceed with caution and be aware that traffic around you
may not always yield to traffic with the right of way.
o Railroad crossings may not be working so proceed with caution and stop, look and listen at all crossings.
o If you have to pull off the road, make sure your vehicle is completely off the roadway and use your emergency
flashers to alert other drivers.
o Use extreme caution in school zones. Yield to pedestrians at intersections.
o Yield to emergency vehicles by pulling to the extreme right of the roadway.
Power Line Hazards and Cars
If a power line falls on a car, you should stay inside the vehicle. This is the safest place to stay. Warn people not to
touch the car or the line. Call or ask someone to call the local utility company and emergency services.
The only circumstance in which you should consider leaving a car that is in contact with a downed power line is if the
vehicle catches on fire. Open the door. Do not step out of the car. You may receive a shock. Instead, jump free of the
car so that your body clears the vehicle before touching the ground. Once you clear the car, shuffle at least 50 feet
away, with both feet on the ground.
As in all power line related emergencies, call for help immediately by dialing 911 or call your electric utility company's
Service Center/Dispatch Office.
Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground
Tips & Courtesies
Check on your elderly neighbors or those who may have medical conditions or use medical machinery that
operates on electricity.
Keep your shades and draperies closed. This can help keep your home at an even temperature.
If your smoke detectors are wired directly into the electrical system they will not operate during a power failure.
Be sure to wait five to ten minutes before turning on appliances and heating systems after power is restored.
This information was compiled by Community Action Angels and the information was obtained from the following websites:
Department of Health and Human Services, Maracopa County Government Site and New York State Department of Health.