ARKANSAS, USA — Inclement weather can often cause power outages that can take hours or sometimes even days to restore. When this happens during the winter, it can be hard to stay warm.
Warming shelters are an option for many people, but others may not have one near them or a way to get to one. To see if there's a warming shelter near you, click here.
If this is a situation you find yourself in, here are some tips from The Provident Prepper on how to stay as warm as possible.
Utility companies are on standby all weekend to ensure their customers keep their homes warm.
When an outage occurs, the utility companies say to first call your provider and report the outage. For more information and tips to be ready this winter, they say to visit their websites.
Tips to stay warm during a power outage:
- Close any blinds/curtains or put blankets or towels up to cover windows and provide insulation.
- Close off rooms to avoid losing heat. This includes:
- Gaps around doors and windows
- Kitchen exhaust fan
- Fireplace flue damper
- Chimney
- Furnace or water heater vents and cold air returns
- Any other place that allows cold air or heat to escape
- Keep activity to a single area and try to move around to create warmth with your body. You could even set up a tent for even more warmth.
- Stuff towels in cracks under doors, especially exterior ones.
- Wear layers of loose-fitting, warm clothing, especially warm socks, and gloves if you have them.
- Eat and drink food to provide energy to warm the body but avoid alcohol or caffeine.
- If you have candles, lighting them can help act as a heat source, especially in an enclosed space. However, do not rely on them, and remember to practice good fire safety.
- Visit a friend or neighbor. Whether they have power or not, more people can keep a space warmer in the case that you are both alone.
What to avoid:
- Under no circumstances should you bring a generator inside. Generators should remain 30 feet away from your home.
- Do not use a stove or oven for heat, this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Don't start an open flame indoors to try to stay warm. Many house fires begin with residents trying to heat their homes.
"We can't predict Mother Nature. So we just make sure all of our employees are ready to go. And we just wait out and see what happens." Arkansas Valley Electric's Brandon Fisher said.
After Thursday night's winds and a Friday morning freeze, residents in Benton County lost power when a tree took out a SWEPCO main line.
"As soon as the sun came up, we were able to locate where the damage occurred, and get it fixed," Spokesperson Shanda Hunter said.
While crews are on standby to make sure homes are heated, they ask for patience while they face the winter weather.
"When the roads are bad for anyone else, it's really hard to get these trucks into some of these rural locations where a lot of the trees are likely to fall on powerlines," Hunter said. "It's also bitterly cold up there. And if the wind blows, it's not safe to be in the bucket on our trucks."
Some energy providers like Black Hills Energy are asking customers to conserve energy as every home and business looks to keep warm.
"Pipeline suppliers will notify Black Hills Energy have a curtailment or operational flow order, which asks large volume commercial customers to adhere to their usage contracts or face stiff penalties," Black Hill Energy's Robin Mizell explained. "If everyone does their part to conserve energy curtailments may not be needed."
The utility companies also advise that their customers prepare as more storms are expected.
"If their medical equipment needs electricity, then they need to find a backup power source or find an alternate place to stay to ride out the storm. It's also a good idea to have several days of medication on hand," Hunter said.
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