INDIANAPOLIS — As severe winter weather rolled through central Indiana, hundreds of folks in Madison County endured the night without power.
Power outages are becoming more common across the U.S.
2020 was the worst year on record for power outages, according to an Energy Information Administration analysis. Major weather events caused by climate change, and an aging infrastructure unprepared to support those changes, are to blame.
In November 2020, a study conducted by the North American Electric Reliability Assessment found Indiana's grid is not prepared to handle severe weather situations.
More of these are inevitable. If your power does go out, there are some things you need to do now.
First, check and make sure your power is actually out. You may have just blown a circuit. Indiana's five largest electric utilities provide outage information at this link online. Try to report your outage to them as well.
If it is a power outage, keep your doors and windows closed. Put towels in front of any drafts.
Layer up, stay warm. Choose mittens over gloves, because they’re actually warmer. Huddle under all the blankets you want, but never use a stove to stay warm.
Any loss of feeling or color in your fingers, or other extremities, could be signs of frostbite - so make sure to call 911.
Also, don’t open your refrigerator or freezer unless you have to. Food can stay cold or frozen for up to 36 hours. But, you also shouldn’t eat any food that is melted or ruined. You’ll have to toss it. Or, if these items are cold enough, some items could even go in the snow!
Pick one light source in your home and turn it on so you’ll be able to tell when the power comes back on.
If you have a generator, camp stove or anything like that you want to use while the power is out, make sure to use it outdoors.
In case of an evacuation - turn off your main breaker, circuit breaker panel or supply box. Turn off your water main, open taps and drain the water tank as well.
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