KATHY'S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – POWER OUTAGE HINTS
I feel for
the many of you without power. It is so incredibly hot. The storms
that came through the Chicago area on July 11, 2011 were some of the
worst we’ve seen. Com
Ed says
they have never
had so many customers out at one time.
Before an
outage is a good time to prepare. Have an emergency kit handy
containing a first aid kit, at least 2 flashlights (w/ extra
batteries), battery powered radio and another handy thing is a fully
charged spare cell phone battery.
Always have
bottled water and juice on hand along with canned and packaged food
to last for a few days. If you keep the fridge closed it will be safe
for twelve hours. A freezer
can last up to three days IF YOU DON’T OPEN IT! Open once and
you’re down to fridge time (12 hours).
Remember, gas
stoves and grills still work, although in this heat you’re not
likely to want to cook and heat up the house.
Get ready for
when the power comes back on. It’s a good idea to unplug large
appliances. You can fry appliances that get a surge of power when the
electricity comes back on. Expensive items such as TVs and computers
should be plugged into a strip with surge
protection.
Good luck,
stay as cool as you can. I hope everyone has power soon. Remember
when you go
through your fridge and freezer
later, “when in doubt, throw it out!”
KATHLEEN
WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
