Hurricane Florence has really got us digging into our past experiences to share with you all how we’ve gotten through severe storm days. We’ve shared with you how to prepare and now we’ll talk about ways we got through the day without power. With today’s technology, you don’t really understand how hard it is to go through the day with no power. Just a flip of a switch or a click of a button and you’ve got all you need right there…until we don’t.
Cooking Without Power
Our family has a habit of eating. HA! It’s one of those habits that, according to our children, if we don’t indulge at least a 
couple of times a day, they will go through withdrawals. So, what do you do when the power’s out and you have to feed hungry bellies?
- Grill! We keep charcoal on hand to use for our grill. We’ve had to use it often when the power has gone out. We’ve cooked everything from meatloaf and fresh veggies, bacon and eggs, to canned corn and even boiled water.
- Propane! We have a turkey fryer, but we also use it and the propane tank to fry foods like fish and chicken, or to do “Low Country Boils” using seafood. I’d imagine that during a severe storm, you won’t have all the makings of a Low Country Boil, but if you have a turkey fryer and you cannot use your electric stove, you may still be in business to feed your family.
- COVER YOUR FIRE PIT! Do you happen to have a fire pit at home? You can definitely use that to cook. If you’re able to move it, bring it inside so it will stay dry. However, if it is in-ground or unmovable, cover it so that when you are able, you can use dry wood to start a fire and cook some hotdogs – camping style!
Note: Make sure you cook before it starts getting dark! Remember, there will be no lights.
Lights Without Power
Without power, you’re going to be in the dark. So, gather these things to help you see…
- Candles. Find as many as you can. And make sure you have matches and a few lighters to light them. Also, since you will be dealing with fire, make sure your detectors and extinguishers are functioning properly. DO NOT FALL ASLEEP WITH LIT CANDLES!
- Flashlights. It’s ideal to have one for every person. We have ones that plug and charge into the wall like a night light. If possible try to have some of various sizes. Also, make sure you have all corresponding batteries. Get more than you think you need. Better to have more than not enough.
- Charged cellphones. If you have a car charger for your phone, use your phone’s flash light.
- Head lamps. Grab a few. Sometimes they come multiple to a pack. You may look like a miner, but you’ll be able to see!
- Solar lights. We haven’t tried this yet, but I have heard of some people setting their sidewalk solar lights out during the day and bringing them in at night for lights in the house.
- Neon glow sticks. They aren’t just great for parties! Grab a few and use them at night like a lantern.
Entertainment Without Power
So, if you are a technologically dependent family, a power outage is going to cause disruption. The kids will most likely be climbing up the walls. What can you do to entertain yourselves?
- Board games. Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land – great American past-time board games. You can find cheap ones at thrift stores or your big box stores.
- Card games. Uno, “Crazy 8s”, “I Declare War”, “Speed” – those are just a few that we like to play.
- Read. Grab some magazines, books, comics, etc from your local library if you don’t have any in the house.
- Talk. Yes, talk. Get caught up on the latest family news.
- Go Outside. When the storm is over and if it’s safe, go outside. Talk to your neighbors. See if anyone needs any help. Come together as a community. More than likely, if they don’t need help, they’re bored too. Share stories, resources, etc and be neighborly!
Sanitation Without Power
Sickness spreads with the power goes out because people forget to keep clean. Here are some ways to stay clean while the power is out.
- If you have two bathrooms, use one for urination and the other for defecation. The one for urination won’t need to be flushed as often as the other, saving yourself from using a lot of water. If you only have one, only “flush” after defecation.
- Fill your bathtub and washing machine with water. Your tub can hold gallons of water. Use this water to “flush” toilets, use this water to boil to use for washing hands and faces and any parts needing to be cleansed.
- Keep hand sanitizer, handiwipes, or baby wipes around. This way you can clean yourself without the use of water.
- Alcohol. If all else fails, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean off. Just don’t use it in parts with membranes (eyes, nose, mouth, private parts)
Stay Cool Without Power
No power, no air conditioning. We as a culture have gotten pretty used to not having to be uncomfortable and hot. Here are a couple of ways to stay cool.
- Speaking of alcohol. It also has a cooling effect when used. Rub your body down with it and cool off a bit. Remember, do NOT use it on body parts with membranes.
- Close blinds and curtains. During the heat of the day, as tempting as it is to let sunlight in, keep them out. Cover your windows, especially South and West facing ones. Keeping the sun rays out will keep your rooms cooler.
- Wear loose clothing. Wear clothing like linens and light cotton. Things like denim might make you more warm.
- Use your car. If you have enough gas, go to your car, crank the A/C and cool off for a bit. Better yet, if there isn’t too much damage, many stores may be open for business. Hang out there, patronize and cool off.
These are just a few things we thought of that we’ve done to help ourselves get through the day during a bad power outage. I’m sure you can get creative and think of more. If you do, please feel free to comment and share below! We look forward to hearing from you!