What To Put In Your Emergency Kit To Be Prepared For an Extended Power Outage in Your Community

by Connor R Sullivan

September of 2008 was the time of a very unlikely hurricane that started off the coast of Texas but was so strong that it kept its path going all the way up through the Midwest where Hurricanes are just not seen . The devastating path was bad and a lot of people were without power for several weeks depending on what state you lived in . This article will discuss what you can do to be ready for a huge storm , even a hurricane in Ohio which is something people never thought they would see . It will recommend structures to have like steel buildings versus wooden ones for storage items and installing a roll up door for your businesses instead of a traditional one . It will also give tips on what to have to be prepared for not having power for an extended period of time .

Many people , particularly the ones in the Midwest last September were not prepared to experience a hurricane in their communities and the devastation that it caused around them. A lot of of the residents were used to being without power for 1-2 days due to thunderstorms but not from hurricane strength winds . Because so many people in Cincinnati lost their power for days to weeks , a lot of them realized they were not ready for such a thing to happen and now have made sure to be ready for the next storm .

The first thing you need to do to prepare for losing power for a long time is to put together a large kit to be organized and stored all together. Several homeowners have flashlights shoved in various drawers around the house and then when the lights go out, they can’t locate any of them . So having a set place for your emergency kit is a wise idea.

The largest item you may wish to purchase is a generator. For the people that had them and were out of power for a long time, it made their powerless experience quite comfortable. There are different sizes of generators and you can get one that just powers a refrigerator and a couple of power outlets for lights, etc. Gas was hard to get too during the storm so make sure you have plenty of containers of gasoline available to power the generator.

The next thing to have would be lighting. Store flashlights, headlamps and additional batteries all in a plastic bin or basket. Another great thing is a battery operated lantern that many have for camping that can light up a whole room. Also, put big candles and matches in the bin as well which can help light up your rooms . Another necessary thing to have in your emergency box is a crank powered radio so you can stay updated on the news surrounding the storm. If you do not have a car cell phone charger, that would be another good idea so you can have phone access when your home line goes out in addition to your electricity.

About the Author:

Connor R. Sullivan has decided to use a roll up door in the steel building he is erecting. He has noticed an increase of steel buildings being used as warehouse space.