Severe summer storms, like the ones that rolled through earlier this week, can leave your family in the dark for days. But weathering a power outage only takes a few quick preparations now that will keep your family safe before, during, and after the lights go out.
Mark Arnold and his son spent Monday in the heat to help out a neighbor. Toppled trees ripped down power lines and left Arnold's Charlottesville neighborhood in the dark for more than eight hours.
"It came on for about 30 seconds last night, then cut back off," he explained.
But the Arnold family was prepared for the power loss.
"We always keep stuff together - like flashlights, oil lamps, candles, necessary things you'd need," he said.
Severe summer storms strike in an instant and can take days of recovery. "Summer storms surprise us. It can surprise even the power company," said Dominion Virginia Spokesperson Daisy Pridgen.
Pridgen encourages all customers to prepare a power outage survival kit with enough supplies, snacks, water, and clean clothes to last three days. Unplug electronics, like TVs and computers to avoid frying them in a surge when the power comes back on. And avoid opening your refrigerator; it can keep food cold for about 4 hours if you don't open the door. A full freezer can safely store food for 48 hours.
Report the outage to your power company. Dominion has a phone line that can handle 100,000 calls each hour.
"It's important for us to know that your power is out. That way our crews know precisely the location and they can restore power in a more efficient way," said Pridgen.
Outside during the storm clean-up, stay 10 feet clear of downed power lines and also report them immediately.
"It could be energized. Just because it's down, doesn't mean it's harmless. It can very well be fatal," she explained.
Arnold says patience is the key to weather an outage. Sit tight, and wait for power crews to get you back online.
The rule of thumb for cold food after an outage -when in doubt, throw it out. In addition, if you have a gas-powered generator, never put it inside your home due to high levels of carbon monoxide that could build-up.
