Be Ready for a Power Outage

Did you experience the Blizzard of ’93? We were beyond knee deep in snow and without power (and heat) for days!

Known as “The Storm of the Century”, it took Asheville a little by surprise; they were unable to get all the roads salted and sanded before the storm dumped all that snow, and many people- our family included- were not able to get out with a car. I remember having to walk to the store through 20 inch deep snow -seemed to take forever!

Being without heat, power, and what a lot of us would consider the general necessities of life can be trying to say the least. But it can also make for great memories. We passed the time playing games, hanging out and reading until it got dark and we had to turn on the Coleman lanterns and light candles so we could play a little longer. By the third day we had on layers and layers of clothing to stay warm, plus hats and gloves! It seemed to get colder by the day with no heat in the house.

Although it can make for great family memories, being without power can also be frustrating, scary, and dangerous, especially if you live alone. Red Cross has made a checklist of things you can do to help keep you and your family and pets safer during a power outage. You can read and download their checklist here.

Get your emergency preparedness checklist here. It includes suggestions such as checking your generator and making sure it works, checking gutters, insulating interior pipes, making sure you have enough shovels, a list of items to stash in an emergency kit for power outages, and more!