Icy Outages

It’s that time of year when the weather swings from 60 degree sunshine to 30 degree sheets of ice and snow.  As long as a person is prepared, it’s not too much of a problem but sometimes the ice can cause power outages and life can move from being fairly simple and routine to being a moment to moment challenge.

Cell phones have made a world of difference in cases of bad weather crisis.  People can easily call out for help and, even if the person on the receiving end isn’t in a position to help, at least they can lend an ear and give sympathy.

But, that doesn’t solve the power outage problem.  We have a gas fire and gas stove so we won’t have to face freezing temperatures in the house.  We also have lanterns and flashlights and won’t ever be totally in the dark.  But lack of entertainment, lack of computer access, are things I would worry about.  How long could I last without connecting via internet?  How long would I make it without watching TV? 

A few years ago we had an outage for 6 days and it was in the hottest part of summer.  First the refrigerator was a problem.  Everything in the freezer started thawing out after about 7 hours of no power.  We ended up cooking on our outside gas grill and eating more meat than I would normally eat in a month.  There was no air conditioning of course.  I would spend hours trying to fall asleep then wake up sweat soaked and exhausted.  I could take a shower but there was very little light in my bathroom so I wasn’t sure if I was completely clean and certainly couldn’t get my make up right.

There are other challenges to power outages in the winter and I don’t know if I would choose to go without power winter over summer.  Both are inconvenient and both could be life threatening.  I believe the best thing to do is stay as prepared as possible and have an escape route to a hotel or friends house if it gets too tough to handle.