What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly
By: Amanda Ashley
Updated: February 19, 2013
The Arkansas Department of Health is reminding folks that when the power
goes out - there are some simple things you need to know to stay safe.
Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning - use generators, pressure washers, grills, and similar items outdoors only.
If the power is out longer than two hours, throw away food that has a temperature higher than 40F.
Check with local authorities to be sure your water is safe.
In hot weather, stay cool and drink plenty of fluids to prevent heat-related illness.
In cold weather, wear layers of clothing, which help to keep in body heat.
Avoid power lines and use electric tools and appliances safely to prevent electrical shock.
Food Safety - If the power is out for less than 2 hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.
If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, follow the guidelines below:
For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this.
Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Safe Drinking Water - When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Your state, local, or tribal health department can make specific recommendations for boiling or treating water in your area. Here are some general rules concerning water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Remember:
Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.
If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.
Boiling water, when practical, is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms.
If you don't have clean, safe, bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make water safer to drink by using a disinfectant, such as unscented household chlorine bleach, iodine, or chlorine dioxide tablets. These can kill most harmful organisms, such as viruses and bacteria. However, only chlorine dioxide tablets are effective in controlling more resistant organisms, such as the parasite Cryptosporidium.
To disinfect water:
Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
Draw off the clear water.
When using household chlorine bleach:
Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5-6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of clear water). Add 1/4 teaspoon (or 16 drops; about 1.50 milliliters) of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water (or 4 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of cloudy water).
Stir the mixture well.
Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
When using iodine:
Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
When using chlorine dioxide tablets:
Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
Power Line Hazards and Cars - If a power line falls on a car, you should stay inside the vehicle. This is the safest place to stay. Warn people not to touch the car or the line. Call or ask someone to call the local utility company and emergency services.
The only circumstance in which you should consider leaving a car that is in contact with a downed power line is if the vehicle catches on fire. Open the door. Do not step out of the car. You may receive a shock. Instead, jump free of the car so that your body clears the vehicle before touching the ground. Once you clear the car, shuffle at least 50 feet away, with both feet on the ground.
As in all power line related emergencies, call for help immediately by dialing 911 or call your electric utility company's Service Center/Dispatch Office.
Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground.
Avoid Carbon Monoxide
For important information about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning during a power outage, see Returning Home After a Disaster: Be Healthy and Safe, Protect Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fact Sheet (from CDC's National Center for Environmental Health [NCEH]).
Dangers of Gasoline Siphoning
Gasoline may be in short supply, before, during, and after natural disasters, such as hurricanes and floods. When there is not enough gasoline, people may want to take gasoline from one container and put it into another. This can be done by siphoning.
Siphoning gasoline can harm your health. Do not try to siphon gasoline. It can cause serious injury or illness.
Siphoning is when you use your mouth or a pump to suck a liquid such as gasoline out of one container, such as a gas tank, through a funnel or tube and into another container
Possible injuries and illness from any form of siphoning include:
Burns and injury from unintentional combustion of gasoline and/or gasoline vapors. This may happen if the gasoline or its vapors come into contact with a lit cigarette or static electricity.
Confusion, drowsiness, headache or problems concentrating from breathing gasoline vapors
Irritation of skin, eye or mucus membranes on contact
Other possible injuries and illness from siphoning when you use your mouth for suction include:
Lung damage, if gasoline is inhaled into the lungs (aspiration) during mouth-based siphoning
Gastrointestinal (GI) signs and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and stomach pain if any gasoline is swallowed
Irritation of mucous membranes inside your mouth, throat and stomach on contact
If you do breath gasoline fumes or swallow gasoline and feel ill, see a doct
Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning - use generators, pressure washers, grills, and similar items outdoors only.
If the power is out longer than two hours, throw away food that has a temperature higher than 40F.
Check with local authorities to be sure your water is safe.
In hot weather, stay cool and drink plenty of fluids to prevent heat-related illness.
In cold weather, wear layers of clothing, which help to keep in body heat.
Avoid power lines and use electric tools and appliances safely to prevent electrical shock.
Food Safety - If the power is out for less than 2 hours, then the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume. While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep food cold for longer.
If the power is out for longer than 2 hours, follow the guidelines below:
For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this.
Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Safe Drinking Water - When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Your state, local, or tribal health department can make specific recommendations for boiling or treating water in your area. Here are some general rules concerning water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Remember:
Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.
If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.
Boiling water, when practical, is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms.
If you don't have clean, safe, bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make water safer to drink by using a disinfectant, such as unscented household chlorine bleach, iodine, or chlorine dioxide tablets. These can kill most harmful organisms, such as viruses and bacteria. However, only chlorine dioxide tablets are effective in controlling more resistant organisms, such as the parasite Cryptosporidium.
To disinfect water:
Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
Draw off the clear water.
When using household chlorine bleach:
Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5-6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of clear water). Add 1/4 teaspoon (or 16 drops; about 1.50 milliliters) of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water (or 4 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of cloudy water).
Stir the mixture well.
Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
When using iodine:
Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
When using chlorine dioxide tablets:
Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.
Power Line Hazards and Cars - If a power line falls on a car, you should stay inside the vehicle. This is the safest place to stay. Warn people not to touch the car or the line. Call or ask someone to call the local utility company and emergency services.
The only circumstance in which you should consider leaving a car that is in contact with a downed power line is if the vehicle catches on fire. Open the door. Do not step out of the car. You may receive a shock. Instead, jump free of the car so that your body clears the vehicle before touching the ground. Once you clear the car, shuffle at least 50 feet away, with both feet on the ground.
As in all power line related emergencies, call for help immediately by dialing 911 or call your electric utility company's Service Center/Dispatch Office.
Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground.
Avoid Carbon Monoxide
For important information about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning during a power outage, see Returning Home After a Disaster: Be Healthy and Safe, Protect Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fact Sheet (from CDC's National Center for Environmental Health [NCEH]).
Dangers of Gasoline Siphoning
Gasoline may be in short supply, before, during, and after natural disasters, such as hurricanes and floods. When there is not enough gasoline, people may want to take gasoline from one container and put it into another. This can be done by siphoning.
Siphoning gasoline can harm your health. Do not try to siphon gasoline. It can cause serious injury or illness.
Siphoning is when you use your mouth or a pump to suck a liquid such as gasoline out of one container, such as a gas tank, through a funnel or tube and into another container
Possible injuries and illness from any form of siphoning include:
Burns and injury from unintentional combustion of gasoline and/or gasoline vapors. This may happen if the gasoline or its vapors come into contact with a lit cigarette or static electricity.
Confusion, drowsiness, headache or problems concentrating from breathing gasoline vapors
Irritation of skin, eye or mucus membranes on contact
Other possible injuries and illness from siphoning when you use your mouth for suction include:
Lung damage, if gasoline is inhaled into the lungs (aspiration) during mouth-based siphoning
Gastrointestinal (GI) signs and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and stomach pain if any gasoline is swallowed
Irritation of mucous membranes inside your mouth, throat and stomach on contact
If you do breath gasoline fumes or swallow gasoline and feel ill, see a doct
