Preparing for Power Outages: Survival Tips

Few of us like to think about disaster striking or preparing for power outages.

Yet, power can go out at any time, especially if you live in a populated area such as any major city in California. While a storm is a likely culprit to cause a power outage, sometimes power outages happen because too many people are using energy at the same time. California has more than 35 million people and not enough energy sources to adequately service its population.

Don't wait for the power to go out before you stock up on supplies because you could find the store shelves raided and empty during a power outage. Moreover, put all your emergency supplies in one place where they will be easy to locate. Otherwise, you could be stumbling around in the dark searching for stuff. You also have no control over how long power will be out, so make sure you double up on back-up supplies.

Of course, to make the wait easier, you can always call your public utility company and be assured that a bazillion other people are without power. My utility company records messages that say things like, "We estimate power will be restored by o-dark-thirty, and by the way, there are 18,000 other households without power." Then o-dark-thirty comes and goes, and we still have no power. But the message is then changed to say, "There are 500 other households without power." Misery loves company, I guess . . . read more about Preparing for Power Outages.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

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• Home Start-Up Budgets

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