Is Your Home Ready for Winter Power Outages?

With the frequency and energy of storms Central Florida receives, power outages may occur at any time locally or may have widespread impact across the region. When the lights flicker off during cooler winter weather, you’ll be happy that you were prepared. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the next power outage in your home.

Preparing for Power Outages

Wind-driven storms have knocked out power for days and weeks across Central Florida in the past. So, make a plan and preparedness pack that will make life easier and safer under extreme conditions. Following are items to include in your preparedness kit:

• You may need several working flashlights and batteries.
• Glow sticks and glow bracelets don’t require batteries, and they last hours.
• Include a good first-aid pack in your preparedness kit.
• A battery-operated radio may come in handy.
• Packages of moist wipes can help with hygiene and cleaning.

Storing and Preparing Food

You never know how long a power outage may last. So, store enough food and water to provide adequate nourishment for one month or more for everyone in your home. Some of the water may be stored in your refrigerator and freezer. Cold water and ice will help sustain perishables and any medications longer.

While consuming canned foods without heating may be safe, you probably want to have some source for heating and cooking food. If you have a fire pit or BBQ grill, make sure you’re always stocked with wood, propane and/or charcoal.

Keeping Warm

Central Floridians enjoy milder winter weather, as far as temperatures are concerned, compared to many other regions of the country. However, it can dip around the freezing point for several nights in a row. So, be prepared to keep warm without electricity and your HVAC system.

Store enough blankets, warm clothing and even sleeping bags to ensure you stay warm and as cozy as possible. Vacuum bags free up storage space, and help prevent mold development on stored materials.

If you have questions about preparing for a Central Florida winter power outage, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay”