9 Safety Tips for Staying Cool (and Keeping Your Cool) During a Summer Blackout [CNET]

Next time there’s a summer blackout, these safety tips will help you stay cool and keep your cool.

Summer blackouts can occur due to severe weather, excessive energy demand for electricity, wildfires and infrastructure malfunctions like a downed power line. They can create dangerous situations, especially when there is extreme heat. Compounding this is the fact that the average blackout is over five hours, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

Preparing for a summer blackout ensures you have the resources to remain comfortable during one. It will also help those with medical conditions remain safe in the heat. Our guide covers different tips you can employ so you’re ready when the lights and air conditioner go out. 

1. Prepare an emergency kit 

An emergency kit is simple to build and doesn’t cost much money. You can even buy them at big-box retailers. They include Band-Aids, gauze, ointments, butterfly bandages and more. If you or someone else in your home takes medication, you’ll also want to pack an extra supply into the kit. 

On top of this, you’ll want to prepare for a prolonged summer blackout. Have at least one gallon of drinking water available per person for at least a few days. Also, consider buying a well-insulated cooler and storing ice packs in the freezer. These can help keep any medications requiring lower temperatures cool and can prevent you from overheating. 

You’ll also want access to non-perishable food items. Keep a supply of canned goods, dry cereal, nuts, snacks and other shelf-stable items that don’t require cooking. 

2. Notify your utility company

You’ll want to have your utility company’s number available to report the outage. While they might already know of your situation, informing them gives them a better idea of the outage’s scope. In some instances, they might provide an estimate for when your power will return. This is vital information to have on hand, as it can help prepare you for a prolonged outage if one happens. 

3. Check on relatives and friends 

If the summer blackout is widespread, affecting loved ones or friends, connect with them and see if they’re okay. Outages can especially impact those with medical conditions, children and older adults. Therefore, ensuring they have a place to go with air conditioning and enough water is paramount. 

If the whole neighborhood is out of power, check with your local Red Cross or the news about nearby areas like libraries or schools that have power and are open to the public. These sanctuaries ensure people with medical conditions have someplace cool to rest until power is back on. 

4. Prepare for prolonged outages

For those living in areas with more inclement weather, preparing for prolonged outages is ideal. Along with following these tips, you’ll want to inspect your fridge and freezer to toss food you can’t properly store without power before it decays. If you can afford it, consider buying an ice chest to store frozen and refrigerated goods. And if you have a grill, you have an outside cooking source to use up meat and veggies before they expire. If you can’t afford an ice chest, keep meats, fruits and vegetables in coolers. 

Moreover, if you live in areas where prolonged outages happen often, like Houston, you should consider a whole-home generator. They are expensive on the surface, yet they can also provide a much-needed sanctuary for when your home runs out of power and will be out for an extended period of time. 

5. Have other light sources

Store a flashlight in every room of your home. That way, when the power goes out, you’ll have lighting in every room. If you don’t want to mess with batteries, consider motion-powered options. However, if you select battery-powered flashlights, keep a fresh supply of batteries on hand. 

Alternatively, you could also use candles as light sources. Stock matchsticks or check on your lighter to ensure it works and doesn’t need lighter fluid. Before lighting a candle, move around your room and check for gas leaks (if applicable). 

6. Install blackout curtains

Blackout curtains achieve several goals. They’ll prevent light from entering your room by blocking out UV rays and exterior light from other sources. They work as another layer of protection for rooms with blinds, where gaps can allow light to seep through. 

Since blackout curtains also reflect heat, they’ll keep that area of your home cooler during a summer blackout. If you have someone with a medical condition or heat sensitivity, you’ll want to place them in a room with blackout curtains when a power outage happens. 

7. Wear cooling clothes

When the power goes out, it won’t take long for your home to heat up. One way to combat the heat is to wear cooling clothes, which dissipate heat and promote airflow, helping you to remain comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. 

Usually, cooling clothes have three properties:

1. Breathable materials: By allowing for more airflow, these materials prevent sweat from sticking to your skin, so you’ll cool off quickly. You should refrain from wearing fabrics containing wool or polyester since they’ll make you sweatier. 
2. Moisture-wicking capabilities: When your body overheats, sweat is created to cool it down. However, if you’re wearing non-cooling clothing, you’ll be uncomfortable because the fabric won’t remove the moisture from your skin. Cooling clothing achieves this by using hydrophobic fibers to repel the sweat from your clothing and skin, allowing your body to cool down without feeling bogged down.
3. Temperature regulation: You’ll want to wear clothes that evaporate sweat quickly, contain higher thermal connectivity and have thermal convection. When you put on a cooler material, your body feels cooler since heat goes from the warmest parts of your clothing to the coolest. 

Read more: Exercising Outdoors This Summer? Here’s How You Can Stay Cool

8. Keep devices charged 

Having cell service is akin to a bodily function for most of us. However, when the lights go out and you don’t have access to a power source, then anxiety can be induced. After all, you don’t want a dead phone battery to prevent you from contacting friends and loved ones, and if you need them, emergency personnel.  

That’s why you’ll want to have backup charging solutions ready to go. Power banks are a wise choice if you keep them charged before an outage occurs. That way you can plug in your smartphone and remain connected. 

You can also buy battery-powered or hand-crank phone chargers. With either option, you don’t have to worry about them being plugged in and powered before an outage. Just make sure to have fresh batteries on hand for battery-powered options. 

9. Recognize the signs of heat stroke

During hotter months, and especially when a summer blackout takes out your A/C, it’s vital to know the signs of heat stroke. If you notice someone starting to feel disoriented or appear flushed, you’ll want them to rest someplace cooler, apply a cold pack or towel to their skin and call 9-1-1. You don’t want to give them water to drink, as they may be confused and unable to swallow safely. 

These are other symptoms of heat stroke to keep an eye out for, per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 

• Slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness (coma)
• Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
• Seizures
• Very high body temperature

Also, if you have older neighbors or those with mobility issues, check on them regularly. Doing so can help you identify signs of heat stroke and address the situation before it becomes even more dangerous.