When I think of power outages, I think of winter, cold, ice, rain and wind. However, just a few days ago on June 21, the first day of summer (northern hemisphere) to be exact, we had a major power outage. It had a beautiful, blisteringly hot day, and while the weather reports warned of wind in the afternoon, that is so common here that I wasn't too worried. As evening approached, I could see a wall of black clouds approaching. I felt a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
I hurried to get all of the pet chores taken care of -- the evening litter box changes, fresh food and water, and make sure everything was OK and strapped down. I had completed everything and was just filling up the dog water bowl when the power went out. We have been through power outages before, I felt like I was prepared.
The storm itself was short-lived. Virtually no precipitation, only lasted about 45 minutes, but with winds near 80 mph, it packed a punch. After 30 hours without power, I decided to write this article to add some thoughts to my basic emergency preparedness plan.
Here are my quick tips, organized by type of pet, and preparedness in general.
General
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We are on a well, so when we lose power, we lose our water. Besides having stored drinking water, it is also important to maintain sanitation for both family members and pets. Have some baby wipes handy to keep hands clean and not waste available water.
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Have matches, candles, flashlights, and batteries on hand, and know where they are. Likes most people, I always have these items on hand, but had a bit of a time actually locating them in the dark, especially when looking for a specific size battery (see below). Once the power came back on, I organized batteries by size and type and created a special place for them.
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Keep readily available (and storable) snacks that do not require refrigeration or heating to eat.
- Make sure to have plenty of fire extinguishers around the house, and know how to use them. Same with water hoses and faucets, in the event of a summer fire. Make sure that extinguishers are fully charged, and know where they are in the house and around your property. Lit candles are useful for light, but having many lit candles can be dangerous. If pets and small children are around, there is even more danger of accidental fire or injury. This summer storm caused many fires in my area due to downed lines and sparking sub stations.
Dogs and Cats
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Thankfully, dogs and cats do not need much electricity in their daily lives. Fresh water and food are most important, so basic emergency precautions should cover those needs. If your pet is arthritic and cold weather is a concern, have plenty of padded, thick blankets for your pet to curl up on.
- While not an emergency, I wanted to mention something I have noticed with one of my dogs during a power outage or any time that our smoke detectors start beeping when the battery is low. When the power is out, many appliances start beeping and flashing. We have a lot of computers in the house, and the minute the power goes out, the UPS units (Uninterrupted Power Supply, a battery for computers) all beep in unison. This really bugs my large dog, who all of a sudden becomes clingy, worried, and generally underfoot. To ease his "worry", I usually let him outside (weather permitting) where he calms down.
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