What To Do When The Power Goes Out

Will You Be Ready When the Lights Go Out?

No matter where you live, you could have a power outage.

That’s because it can be caused by many different things—a transformer fire, a high demand for power or even a squirrel chewing through an electrical line or storms.

High winds and falling trees can bring down power lines and result in an outage, which can bring inconvenience, but at its worst, injury to you and your family, and/or damage to your home and belongings

Here are a few suggestions for easing your way through an outage:

Bulk up on batteries. Know what electronic devices you need and ensure you have enough batteries.

Evaluate your essentials. Make sure flashlights are in working order, and you have enough food and water on hand for a prolonged outage. You might invest in a battery-powered radio, which can help you track the weather.

Take precautions with prescriptions. If you are taking medicine that needs to be refrigerated, ask your doctor how long it can be stored at higher temperatures.

Don’t open the fridge or freezer. Food will stay cold for about four hours in the refrigerator and about 48 hours in the freezer if the doors aren’t opened frequently. It’s best to put some food in coolers for easy access. Be sure to check the temperature of all food before consuming; it should be under 40 degrees.

Keep phones juiced and gas tanks full. Also consider filling extra containers with gas; if the power outage lingers, gas supply at stations may become limited.

Power down and disconnect. Turn off and unplug electronic devices during a storm, as a power surge can damage them if they’re left on.

Contact us for all of your insurance needs! 

Illinois and Wisconsin residents, at R Hobbs Insurance Agency, we can work with you to make sure you’ve got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call at (847) 680-0888 or send us a note at [email protected]. We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what’s important to you is protected!

Content source: Kemper