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The biggest thing you want to avoid during a blackout is improperly using a portable home generator. The gas-powered devices emit toxic fumes that you don't want coming into your home. "Number one, keep that away from the house," Raabe said. "Get that thing away from the house and run the cords in."
You also want to avoid frying your expensive electronics with a power surge when the power comes back on. Using a surge protector, or unplugging TVs and computers, can help prevent this.
And of course, try not to open your fridge or freezer frequently during a blackout. You want to preserve the cold (and your food) for as long as possible.
After the power comes back, the hard part is over, but you'll need to dispose of any spoiled food or medicine. With food, it's best to err on the side of caution. Throw things away if they've been unrefrigerated (above 40 degrees) for two or more hours, the Department of Homeland Security says. (The department runs the website Ready.gov with tips to prepare for almost any kind of disaster.) With medicines, it's best to consult with your doctor.
Another key step: Revisit that blackout plan you made and see what you might want to do differently next time. Raabe recommends you ask yourself, "Hey, did my plan work for me?"
A blackout is bound to bring some sort of inconvenience, but managing those problems and staying safe is possible with just a bit of preparation.
Here are additional ways your phone can help in an emergency and how to keep your pets safe during natural disasters. Plus, the five things that could help you get through a power outage.
Yes, blackouts and power disruptions have become more frequent over the past few years. This is mainly driven by extreme weather events in the US. Low-income areas and states that are prone to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and winter storms, are more likely to experience blackouts.
In a word: No. Everyone has different needs during a blackout. Some households might do fine with a small portable battery to charge their phones. Other families might feel safe with a small portable generator to power a fridge and other essentials. Others might want the convenience of a permanent standby generator that flips on automatically and powers their entire home.
A blackout is a total and unexpected loss of power. Blackouts can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few days or even weeks. A brownout is only a partial loss of power, where a system's capacity and voltage are reduced. Brownouts usually happen when there's high demand across the power grid.
Written by
Mike De Socio,
Andrew Blok
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Mike De Socio is a CNET contributor who writes about energy, personal finance and climate change. He's also the author of the nonfiction book, "Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts-And America." His path in journalism has taken him through almost every part of the newsroom, earning awards along the way from the Boston Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. As an independent journalist, his work has also been published in Bloomberg, The Guardian, Fortune and beyond.
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