Heavy Rain + Wind = Power Outages

It’s that time of year when the winds pick up and, if combined with soggy ground, trees fall. So let’s get ready for power outages.

The National Weather Service is predicting 11 mph winds this afternoon (October 24) with ongoing precipitation. Saturday, October 25, we’re looking at wind gusts up to 20 mph and guaranteed rain. Overnight, winds will pick up, gusting up to 26 mph.

For those of you new to the region and for you old hats who deliberately forgot over the spring and summer what’s heading our way, here’s a handy checklist to help you prepare:

Nutrition and Hydration

• Food that doesn’t need to be cooked or that can easily be cooked on a wood stove or outdoor grill

• Water in case your well or water system doesn’t have a generator. Store enough so that you can brush your teeth, wash your hands, cook, and clean some dishes. Your pets need water too. Make sure you have at the very least 1 gallon per person per day. (The longest power outages we have around here that are caused by wind and not earthquakes could last a week. But because we’re in earthquake country, you want to strive for four weeks of stored food and water.)

Lighting

• Flashlights and headlamps so you can move around in your home and outside.

• Lanterns so you can do a puzzle, play a game, or have a conversation while being able to see other people. A great option are Luminaid inflatable lanterns because they’re light enough to hang from the ceiling by a push pin, they store flat, you can recharge them during the day with solar power, and they have a port for phone charging.

Energy

• Charged-up phone chargers

• Generator and fuel

• A portable power station that you pre-charge by plugging it in and that will retain its charge until you need it. Get the solar panels that come with it so you can recharge it during multiple-day outages. These stations come in multiple sizes (at a range of prices) that can charge anything from a computer up to major appliances. One option is the line of Jackery power stations. 

• Extra batteries

• Portable ceramic electric heaters that you can plug into your power station.

Sanitation

• Wet wipes to help you stay clean for a few days when there’s no shower.

Information

• NOAA weather radio that runs on batteries and can be recharged with solar.

• Make sure you’re signed up for Nixle alerts. The City will send out alerts for downed trees, downed wires, and closed roads.

Remember when the power’s out to check on your neighbors to make sure they’re doing okay.