Have an Emergency Plan

The best way to get through a storm is to plan ahead by remembering the following:

Emergency Supplies Kit
Keep an emergency kit handy and make sure everyone in the family knows where it's located. At a minimum, keep these items in your kit at all times:

Battery-operated radio and extra batteries (change batteries periodically - even unused batteries lose power over time)
Flashlight and extra batteries
Manual can opener
First aid kit and manual
Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
Some pillows and blankets
Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
Whistle

If you have kids, keep a supply of books and games handy to keep them occupied while the lights are out. For infants, make sure you have a good supply of formula, medications, diapers, bottles, powdered milk, etc.

You can purchase disaster supply kits in a variety of sizes at the American Red Cross Web Site.

Telephones
If you use a cordless phone, remember that the system needs electricity to operate and will be useless during an outage. Always keep a cellular or corded phone in your home.

Be sure to have a clear list of emergency numbers posted in a known location in your house– including your utility's outage reporting hotlines.

Food and Water
Be sure to always have plenty of medications, baby supplies and non-perishable food on hand in case of a storm. Be sure the food doesn't need refrigeration or cooking (granola bars or crackers and peanut butter for example).

Don't forget Drinking Water; FEMA suggests reserving about three gallons of drinking water per person.

Medical or Life Support Equipment
If anyone in your family depends on electrical medical equipment, please call your electric company so they can note it on your account.

Power outages are unpredictable. If you or anyone in your house depends on life support equipment or refrigeration for life-sustaining medications, you should really consider installing a backup power supply system such as a home generator. Most life support systems have some type of backup, but it may not be enough to last through a prolonged outage. A generator can continue operating for longer periods of time allowing most people to stay in their home until the electrical outage is repaired.

Electric Garage Doors
Remember that power garage door openers won't work in a storm. Review the steps to open your door manually so your car doesn't get stuck inside the garage.

If you use your garage door opener as a "key" to get into your home, be sure to also carry the key to another door into your home.