In recent years, many other extreme winter weather events have been reported around the world. In part two of our series, we’ll discuss how to keep yourself warm during a winter power outage, and different ways to power home essentials without electricity, as well as other helpful tips to use in an emergency.
Protecting yourself and your loved ones against hypothermia during a winter power outage is essential. To protect yourself from frigid temperatures, layer your clothing to best retain your internal temperature. Remember, if you’re too warm it’s always easier to take layers off than to add them once you’re cold. To retain heat in the room, roll up towels, place them under the door, and seal off windows if possible. You can even pitch a tent in the middle of the room to create a cozier space for everyone to bundle together.
There are many cost-effective strategies to ensure you have heat and light during a winter power outage. One solution is to place one or more candles in vegetable shortening. This technique can light up a room and create a heat source for many days. Our Most Compassionate Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) recently shared this tip in one of Her conferences with Supreme Master TV team members.
We’ll now share some methods to cook your food in case of a power outage. One short-term solution is a camping stove. Another option is to create a homemade rocket stove. Many online tutorials are available on creating this type of homemade cooking stove. A solar-powered generator is a resource that will allow you to power small appliances during a power outage, such as electric burners, lamps, heaters, and more. Some can even be plugged into a car battery if weather conditions make recharging difficult.
We’ll now share some essentials to keep in your emergency safety kit. Imagine that you can’t use technology for some of the basic things you take for granted like using your mobile phone maps, which give you addresses and directions to where you need to go. If your phone becomes damaged or there is no internet access, none of this information will be available. Thus, it’s crucial to write down significant phone numbers and addresses for family members and emergency services. Have a notepad in your safety kit with all this critical information and a map that gives you directions to landmarks while offline.
Include a basic first aid kit with various-sized bandages, wrappings, gauze pads, antiseptic, and other essential items in case wound care is needed.
If you’re prescribed daily medication, always have a seven-day supply on hand.
For additional light sources, keep enough matches, lighters, candles, and multiple flashlights that require the same type of batteries, as well as extra batteries. Headlamps are also a great addition, providing a hands-free light source while working.
To stay connected to the outside world, have an emergency radio on hand, preferably crank-operated, which is both battery and manually powered.
If showering is not possible, wet wipes will keep your hands clean and can be used for hygienic purposes.
Keep a small supply of cash at home at all times. If the power goes down, debit and credit cards will be unusable and hence buying items will likely be cash-only.
Other essentials include a cell phone charger, a multi-use tool, and a basic can opener.
Pack all these items together in a container, and store in a location that will be easy to access in an emergency. If you live in an area prone to flooding, store the container up high, such as the top of a closet or even on the second story. It’s possible in an emergency that you will need to access this kit quickly should you need to flee your home.
We all hope these items are never needed, but if an emergency arises, being prepared could be lifesaving.
