When I was in elementary school it wasn’t uncommon for winter power outages to last a few days and it didn’t mean school was canceled either. A wood stove and gas range where mandatory as well as a generator for the well. But now I live in a small apartment in a complex and while it has a fireplace I was wondering what I would do in the unlikely event that power was lost for more than a few hours. The little stuff is simple. If the oil heater is plugged in and on full blast and suddenly the one room is without power we look at the breaker box. If the lights flicker and go out we reach for a flashlight and candles (I always like to have a kerosene lamp handy, can be decorative and useful). But if the power is out and harassing the power company doesn’t seem to be working what is the next step?

Well first things first. Water.  Your water should still run without power but is ALWAYS good to have water in your house or car for emergencies. Remember the 8 cups of water rule? It still stands in emergency situations. Every day you need 2-3 liters of water per person, not to mention water for bathing and tooth brushing.

If it is cold and you don’t happen to have a fireplace then closing curtains or putting blankets over the windows will help if you don’t have double paned and blankets along potentially drafty areas might also work in the plus column. Otherwise bundle up or if you have some loose pocket change go to a hotel. 

Now what about food! Things like not opening the fridge a lot or standing with the door open are good places to start or maybe picking up some ice from the store to shove in there. A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Just keep the door shut. To be super safe a food thermometer can be used to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So food is check. When cooking NEVER use charcoal or gas camping stoves indoors. Consider using sterno cooing fuel, like the ones sold for large fondue pots. Added benefit is warmth.

So, food check, water check, warmth check. Now just try not to die of boredom. Cat’s cradle anyone?