How To Assemble a Power Outage Preparedness Kit

When a major storm or emergency occurs, power can be out for days or even weeks. It is important to be prepared, because when the emergency strikes it is often too late. A run on the stores creates water shortages and other demands that mean you and your family could be left without the resources that you need in the crisis.

Prepare today for the emergencies of tomorrow.

Water.

Food.

Light.

Radio.

First Aid Kit.

Medications.

Documentation.

Cell phone and charger. You will want to be able to contact the outside world. Try to keep a car charger in your car, as well -- that way, you can keep it charged even when the power in the house is out.

Emergency contact information. In addition to important family contacts, be sure to include numbers for your workplace, schools, fire department, police department, poison control, etc. Situations may arise when documentation may be required. Since these situations are difficult to predict, keep a copy of important documents with your emergency kit. Documentation should include important medical information, deed/lease to home, birth certificates and insurance policies. If you or anyone in your family requires medication, be sure to have a seven day supply set aside. A first aid kit should include bandaids, antibiotic ointment packets, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, a blanket, a breathing barrier, cold compresses, nonlatex gloves, scissors, bandages, gauze, thermometer, tweezers and a first aid instruction pamphlet.Make sure you will be able to get updates. A NOAA Weather Radio is the best option. Again, hand-crank radios are better than battery operated models.Flashlights are preferrable to candles due to fire hazards. Emergency flashlights that are wound up or shaken to produce a charge are better than battery operated models in extended outages. You will need non-perishable food that is easy to prepare. Granola bars, instant oatmeal, canned fruit, ramen noodles, etc.You will need one gallon per person per day. The Red Cross recommends keeping two weeks worth of water in the home in case of emergencies and a three day supply for evacuation. This is 14 gallons per person in the home and 3 gallons per person in portable containers.

The Importance of Being Prepared

Just yesterday, our power was restored after a four day outage caused by a combination of snow, ice and wind. At the peak of the outage, almost 300,000 people were without power in Western Washington. Some of these people were in cities and some were in rural areas. Many were without power for three or four days--some even longer.

My family was able to relax and enjoy the outage because we were prepared. We had a generator. We had water. We had food. We have a fireplace and firewood. We had flashlights and rechargable batteries. We had board games. Do you know what else we had? Fun.

As I kept tabs on the outage updates from Puget Sound Energy, I noticed a disturbing trend. People were angry and bitter at their inconvenient and -- in some cases -- dangerous situations. Most of these people blamed the utility for their misery and lack of power. Some of them had little children. Some of them had elderly relatives that required oxygen and other medical devices.

I couldn't help but wonder why these people weren't more prepared. All of them expected PSE to be more prepared to tackle the disaster, but when a utility has hundreds of thousands of people to take care of the only person you can count on to put your needs first is you. Certainly, the company did all that it could -- but most people still went days without power.

This personal experience prompted the creation of this blog. It is my hope that, by reading it, you will become more prepared to handle any personal emergency that comes your way. Power outages often accompany other emergency situations, such as earthquakes and storms.

Too often, people only understand the importance of preparation after the power is already out. Don't make that mistake. Prepare today -- because when the power's out, it's already too late.