One of the first things that is likely to happen in a large-scale disaster is an extended power outage. Whether we’re talking about an EMP or dirty bomb hitting the United States, a natural disaster, or any other survival situation, you need to be prepared for the lights to go out – and not just for a few minutes or hours. Here are a few of our favorite tips for preparing for an extended power outage.
Store Plenty of Food and Water
First of all, you’re going to need to stay fueled and hydrated. Store at least a gallon of water per person per day that you expect the power to be out before you move on or start foraging for more food and collecting and filtering rainwater. The food you store should be non-perishable, and you should be able to prepare it without a microwave of stove.
Have Seasonally Appropriate Clothes and Bedding
If the power goes out in the middle of summer, be prepared with non-electric ways to stay cool. In the winter, you’ll need to ensure that you have enough blankets to keep everyone in the house warm.
Keep Your Car Gassed Up
In the case of an extended power outage, there’s a very real chance that you’re going to have to bug out to find a safer place to stay. For this reason, we recommend keeping your car gassed up and/or keeping extra fuel around in case you need to leave when your car is low on fuel.
In addition to these tips, you’ll want to make sure that you have plenty of candle, batteries for your flashlights, a generator if possible, and extra batteries or battery chargers for your phones. These things will give you the resources you need to make the next logical move for the situation.
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