An outage is coming. Don't worry!
A little work now is the difference between a long evening and a bad one. None of it is expensive, and all of it keeps.
WHAT TO HAVE READY
- A power bank, charged, in a drawer you'll remember. Two if anyone in the house has a medical device.
- Flashlights with batteries that are actually in them, one per person.
- A battery or hand-crank radio — cell networks have their own batteries and they don't last forever in a long outage.
- Jugs of water in the freezer. They keep the freezer cold when the power goes and they're drinking water when they melt.
- Your utility's outage number saved in your phone under something you'd search for at 2 a.m. — "power" works.
- Sign up for FirstEnergy's outage alerts, and get on the Critical Care list if anyone at home depends on powered medical equipment.
- Know where your breaker panel is and how to open it, in daylight, before you need to.
- Thermometer in freezer and fridge
- Make sure your battery-powered CO detector works
This page is general safety information gathered from FirstEnergy, the CDC and the USDA. It isn't medical or emergency advice, and it can't account for your particular situation — in an emergency, call 911.