Emergency Preparedness / 2023 / August
August 2023 Message
Dear Stake,
We are in hurricane season! For those of you who are new, we are sometimes affected by hurricanes in our area, usually in the form of a very heavy storm. A likely scenario is that heavy rains and wind cause trees to fall on power lines, resulting in power outages. How can you be prepared for a power outage? The main things to think about for a summer power outage are light, food, medical needs, and road safety.
Light
Days are long right now, but it's important to have flashlights ready. Have one for every member of your family and make sure your kids know where to find them. Check the batteries regularly, as the humid NC climate can cause them to corrode faster than in other states. Have several extra packs of batteries ready to go. Other sources of light that could be useful in a power outage are: camping lanterns, candles (but practice fire safety!), oil lamps, and solar powered portable lights typically used outdoors, but which could be brought inside.
Food
Without electricity, if you don't open the door of your refrigerator, the food will stay cold for 4 hours. However, food in a full freezer will stay frozen for up to 48 hours as long as you don't open the door. So, in a power outage, you probably want to eat whatever you can from your refrigerator right away, but not open your freezer at all. If you have a gas stove, you will be able to cook food as normal, but you won't be able to refrigerate leftovers or use a microwave. Make sure that your food storage includes some non-perishable foods that don't require refrigeration or cooking, in case you are unable to do either. Also, please note that a gas camp stove needs to be used outdoors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. An outdoor grill might come in handy, or even a firepit if you have one. Be prepared with a ready supply of fuel, whether gas, charcoal, or firewood.
Medical Needs
If you or anyone in your home needs electricity for medical devices or to refrigerate necessary medicines, plan for what you might need to do in a power outage. In this case, a backup generator might be a good investment. Test your generator regularly to make sure it is in working order.
Road Safety
Something to remember is that if the power is out in a neighborhood or town, the traffic lights will also very likely be out. When traffic lights are not working at an intersection, the intersection essentially becomes a four-way stop, where each driver stops at the intersection and proceeds in order of first to arrive, first to go. However, traffic light outages can cause confusion and panic in the other drivers on the road, so it's important to be cautious and practice defensive driving.
Heavy storms may bring a lot of rain that can cause flash flooding. Do not attempt to drive across a flooded road.
Try to only drive if absolutely necessary, and allow plenty of time to get where you need to go.
Other
Some other really important things to have in preparation for a power outage are an emergency battery backup for your cell phone, especially if you don't have a land line, a battery operated or solar operated radio. You may be able to charge your cell phone in your car, but it's good to not have to use up gas if you can help it.
Brothers and Sisters, we hope that you will not need to face any of these challenges, but we know that if you do prepare thoughtfully and prayerfully for the storms in your life, your preparation will be the power that you need to navigate safely through.
Sincerely,
Holly and Chris Earls
Stake Emergency Preparedness Coordinators