How to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas

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Hacks to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas – Have you ever been to the rural areas when there is a power outage? There is no light at night, the food going bad in the fridge, the livestock-especially the chicken suffering from the effects of cold temperatures and such dire consequences.

Hacks to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas
Hacks to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas

Hacks to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas

The worst power outages are the ones that occur in winter. The extremely low temperatures can predispose you and your loved ones to various medical conditions. Therefore, it is always imperative to be prepared.

Various causes of power outages:

  • Extreme Weather conditions
  • Interference of the power lines by animals such as birds
  • The planned blackout during maintenance

In 2017, Hurricane Maria left millions of people in the dark. Most of the people stayed for weeks and months without power. This incidence goes to show that it is essential to be prepared for such eventualities.

How to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas
How to Survive Blackouts In Rural Areas

During a blackout, it is necessary to have a power back-up. Having a generator is the best way to ensure that you are prepared. There are different types of generators: some generators are big enough to provide power to all the power requirements at home.

The large standby generators can be very useful in lighting the house, controlling the temperature inside the house and even for the livestock and pets.

You can get either the gas-powered generators or the solar-powered ones. The standby generators are usually quieter than portable generators. Also, generators can be automatic and are connected to the gas or propane lines.

You can also check out smaller and portable generators that can be moved to power specific equipment. They can be used to power equipment such as the fridge, freezer and so on. This helps to make sure that despite the blackout, you can still feed your family. Not having food to eat during an outage is usually one of the significant causes of panic and it only worsens the situation.

How to Store Food Long Term

You can also have batteries for backup power. Batteries have a few advantages over the auto-start generators in some regard. Firstly, do not produce any noise. They also do not use any fuel and therefore are friendly to the environment.

The batteries just store power. Usually, they are connected to a solar power grid. The primary disadvantage of the solar power batteries is that they are not as useful on a sunless day. Also, they do not last as long as the generators.

Top solar-powered generators:

  1. Inergy Kodiak
  2. Inergy Apex
  3. Nature PowerPak 1800W Powered Generator
  4. Outback Radian
  5. Inergy Flex
inverter generators vs conventional generator - Goal Zero Yeti Solar Generator Inverter
inverter generators vs conventional generator – Goal Zero Yeti Solar Generator Inverter

Preparing meals is also quite a challenge during blackouts. Therefore, always ensure that your gas tanks are refilled. It provides backup gas supply in case of blackouts. With adequate gas supply, you can use the barbecue gas grills.

You can also use the charcoal grill to get the authentic flavor of barbecue. Therefore, always ensure that you have enough charcoal reserves.

The Smokey Joe is one of the best charcoal grills, and it is also a portable grill for camping. So you can carry it to your friend’s barbecue party.

Other survival hacks during a blackout are:

  • Avoid opening the refrigerators
  • Ensure that you have food that does not require refrigeration
  • Inspect all electrical appliances and unplug them from the power sockets.
  • All appliances that produce carbon monoxide should be used outdoors where there is plenty of air. These include the charcoal grill, generators and stoves.

Most people claim that they would want to purchase items to help them prepare for such emergencies. You have no reason not to prepare adequately. In conclusion, in the rural areas, there is a communal lifestyle. Therefore, ensure to check on your neighbors.

You should also see the local medical supply to plan on how you can get any medicines and how to store your medications that require refrigeration.

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