Apparently I’m Not a Prepper — Lessons From a Short Blackout
Last night went a little differently that I’d planned, because (as you can see) we lost electricity at 9:30 P.M. The blackout did seem to be localized, as I could see that houses a couple blocks over were fully illuminated. This gave me a sense of calm.
My husband was at hockey, (he plays on Saturday nights) so it was just my daughter and I suddenly sitting in the dark while an atmospheric river raged above the house.
I was not prepared. As you can see in the above screenshot, my phone was at maybe 30%, so I was hesitant to use the flashlight function for more than a minute at a time. I do have the pillar candle that I thrifted last month, so I grabbed it from one location and the matches from another spot. (Note to self — emergency candles and matches should be stored in the same place!) However, my daughter’s cat is still at the house and I don’t trust her to abstain from knocking it over.
Also . . . a single candle is not a plan.
Portland General Electric was great with their communication which helped.
I remembered that I had this battery operated Christmas ornament is an easy to find spot, which I decided would make the perfect night light.
Here’s what it looks like in the daytime.
I also grabbed three plug-in rechargeable LED work lights from the basement, which are super powerful and put out a remarkable amount of illumination. However, much as they are handy for a short blackout, they’re essentially useless for longer periods as they require electricity to recharge.
We do have a couple battery powered flashlights, but they’re scattered throughout the house and it’s been years since I’ve tested them.
I also tidied things up a little bit to minimize potential tripping hazards.
Luckily our experience without electricity lasted a mere three hours. Nothing really in the long run. A blip.
Portland, Oregon rarely gets dramatic weather, so I’ve been amiss at putting together emergency supplies. I feel like this was an important reminder that our emergency plan shouldn’t hinge on one candle and a Christmas ornament.
I’d love to get your advice on what we need to do to prepare ourselves for future outages. Please share your ideas and experiences in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Wow, lucky you get a text message. I might suggest it to the power companies in NZ.
Bad storms/multiple day outages happen at least once a year where we are, so we’re what we jokingly call “prepper-lite.”
Rechargeable/battery-powered sconces throughout the house
Hurricane lamps and oil for the same
Ice packs in the deep freezer and fridge freezer to maintain temperature
A giant rechargeable power bank capable of running our (small, no frills) fridge
Bottled water for us and the cats
Easy/no cook food for us and the cats
A 1950s gas stove that uses NO electricity, so we can still cook and have the comfort of coffee no matter what–we sought out an older stove for just this reason!
A dead-simple gas furnace with a battery back up for the thermostat, so we’re not without heat, either
Batteries and powerbanks
I am seriously shocked this was novel to you. But I grew up in a house located where power outages were frequent and several serious earthquake faults are common. So this was really a good lesson for me. Clearly you have never known anyone who had to walk down 30 flights post earthquake/electrical outage……..
Look into earthquake preparedness instructions. Portland is on a major fault line!!!
Like the MADRID FAULT IN MIDWEST that people ignore and instead talk about San Andres in CA which is equally real. So yes. Battery operated light. Quake supplies of water, foods, first aid (which I bet you do have covered), warmth and sanitation supplies are basic categories for starters. Also the equipment and knowledge to control water and gas and electric lines and thereby reduce some fire issues. Keep gas in car too though for the earthquake assume bridges will be down and have a family plan for emergencies on where to meet up and really one should have two locations in case #1 has problems. It is like fire exits from your home or any other building/place you might be in. If need be read TILT by Sally Hepworth to raise your Portland awareness…….. EASY READING, light fiction.
For soft ambient light, where you don’t need strong task lighting, I keep my mostly-drained batteries together in one spot, and put them in electric candles. They are nice to lift the gloom of early dusk in fall and winter, and as emergency extra light.
There’s a hack that campers use: if you have a headlamp but want room light, strap the headlamp facing a gallon milk jug filled with water. It creates bright clear ambient light for a room.
Solar chargers for your phones are good gifts for family members.
In 2017, raging wildfires and subsequent power shutoffs took us all by surprise here in Sonoma County, CA. But we’ve mostly learned our lesson and now keep a better supply of supplies on hand, including a mix of candles (all housed in one central location; though your post is a reminder that I need to restock), lighters, matches, camping supplies including headlamps, rechargeable lanterns and lights, and a gas camp stove. We have gas appliances as well, and as bad as they are for the environment, we have been slow to replace them because 1) they all still work, and 2) they are useful in power outages.
Also, a purchase I can recommend and have used many times over is a Jackery power station. We have the 300Wh capacity, I believe. Keeping it charged and ready for such an emergency is key, and we use it mainly to keep phones powered up, but I’ve also used it for an electric blanket during a particularly cold night. We also use the Jackery for camping and road trips, so I always try to remember to recharge it when we return home.
Hope this is helpful!
I have lived in the country for 55+ yrs and still find my pepper skills lacking. Last month we were without power and water for 7 hours. I had bought the screw in light bulbs that self charge until the power breaks, then they turn on. I also have led mini lanterns, a magnetic rechargeable flashlight and one of those wind up radios that you can also charge a phone. I have 3 power banks, one that is integrated with my go bag and one that is strong enough to charge my truck battery. My jbl Bluetooth speaker is also a powerbank.
I have 3 carboys with filtered spring water and several rain collection barrels for non drinking water. Most of this equipment is for off grid or dry camping.
I also have emergency flashlights that are plugged in and turn on automatically in the guest rooms. Plus my chore headlamps, most useful and has 5 modes, great to read by. I lost some huge oak branches in the gusts last night.