To better prepare you and your family for a power outage, your electric co-op recommends that consumers keep a fully-stocked storm preparedness kit. The basic supplies in this kit should include:

• Bottled water
• Non-perishable food
• Emergency blankets
• First aid kit/medicine
• Flashlight
• Battery operated or hand-crank radio
• Extra batteries
• Toiletries

Now that your family is prepared for an outage, what should you do if the lights do go out?

Keep warm air in and cool air out by not opening doors to unused rooms. Do not open doors to the outdoors unless necessary.

Food safety is also important when there is an outage. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible, and eat perishable food first. If you know a storm is coming, stock up on ice to keep things in coolers to keep them from going bad if an outage lasts longer than a day. Once the refrigerator reaches temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, foods can become unsafe to eat.

To protect homes’ electrical equipment during an outage, turn off and unplug all unnecessary electronics or appliances. This will keep equipment from being damaged by surges or spikes when the power returns.

Once an outage is over, there are still safety precautions to take. Power lines could still be down. If you see downed power lines, do not touch them. Call your electric co-op or 911 for assistance.