How to Deal with Hurricane Power Outages

Are you working or living in an area that is at large risk of hurricanes? If so, you’ve probably experienced massive power outages before, which can definitely inconvenience your work as an electrician. Here are a few tips for dealing with hurricane power outages safely and efficiently.

How to Prepare for a Power Outage

First, if you’ve been watching the weather forecast and are anticipating a hurricane in the near future, make sure that you take preparatory measures to protect the living conditions of the house that you’re working on or residing in. These preparatory measures should be taken as soon as possible: don’t procrastinate!

You’ll want to make sure that the electrical units and appliances are prepared and protected. You can do so by unplugging large appliances before or when a power outage occurs. This can help prevent the electrical circuit from becoming overpowered and blown when the power does come back on, causing an electrical surge.

Additionally, make sure that your carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms are battery-powered to protect you from any safety risks. Test their battery frequently. You will also want to find alternative power sources to use in the event of an outage, which will be discussed in the next section.

Generators and Alternative Chargers

Make sure that you have alternative sources of power to help you with your electricity needs during a power outage. There are alternative power sources that you can use to power your essential electrical items, such as telephones. Some of these power sources might be battery-powered. Other power sources are solar-powered. Both of these sources are good options for providing you with electricity during an extended power outage.

You can also use generators to provide power to certain appliances or parts of your home. However, make sure that you never use generators inside your house or garage to prevent any electrical mishaps and safety risks. Instead, a portable generator should be run a distance from your house. Many generator manufacturers suggest that you should maintain at least a 20 feet distance from your house to the generator. You can use an extension cord or transfer switch to use the power of this generator, even at a distance.

While a generator likely won’t be able to power your entire home, it will be able to power essential appliances and parts of your home for a short time, providing you with greater comfort and safety. Make sure that you instruct any of your customers on these safety measures for using generators and alternative chargers.

Other Home Safety Tips

When you’re dealing with an extended power outage, food storage can become a concern and issue. Food can spoil quickly if it isn’t maintained at a proper temperature. In order to help your food stay good as long as possible, keep the fridge and freezer closed as long as possible. You can also use a thermometer to track the temperature of the foods inside. Track certain foods for spoiling temperatures so you can throw them out accordingly. Failing to do so can lead to food poisoning and sickness.

Additionally, make sure that the members of a household are all prepared for the power outage. Make sure that they all have flashlights and alternative chargers for their phones. If any of the household members have medical needs, such as medical appliances or medication that needs to be refrigerated, take preparatory measures to ensure that their needs will be taken care of.

So, if you know that you or your customers are at risk of hurricanes and power outages, now is the time to prepare. Make sure that you know how to prepare for a power outage, including how to use generators and alternative chargers. This will help you to move forward with your electrical work, despite power outages and complications.

Watching the weather forecast? Need to prepare for hurricane power outages? Stock up on electrical supplies from Big Electric Supply by clicking here!