We're in a heatwave. How to prepare for, and survive, a power outage

With Southern California in the grips of another heatwave, some areas already are seeing power outages. And in the dog days of summer, there's always a higher potential for planned power outages, blackouts and fires. It's smart to get prepared.

As human-caused climate change makes summers hotter and longer, driving extreme weather around the world, being prepared for mayhem is an unfortunate necessity for all of us these days. At about this time two summers ago, for example, we had a record-long and hot heat wave that almost led to rolling power outages.

So here are some tips on how you can prepare in the event of a power outage or fire and other disasters. It’s important to remember being prepared for one type of disaster makes you far better equipped to handle other types.

Pretty much any disaster requires similar prep, and it’s especially important to plan for the unique needs you and your loved ones may have in these types of situations.

What causes power outages?

Planned power outages or blackouts are carried out by the California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state's power grid, as well as utility providers, when demand for electricity is higher than the supply. That's often during extreme heat events. Blackouts can also be declared when there's high risk a fire could be sparked by a power line going down during high winds and other weather.

What to do before a flex alert or rolling power outage

It’s a bit counterintuitive, but before a flex alert — which are usually between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when utilities ask customers to turn thermostats to no less than 78 degrees to conserve energy — Diane Castro with Southern California Edison said to pre-cool your home as much as possible and fully charge your electronics, including backup battery packs.

She said you should also:

• Sign up for emergency alerts ...
  
  • From your county and your city. Here’s where to sign up for L.A. County and cities within it. 
  • From the California Independent System Operator, which operates most of the state’s power grid and issues flex alerts. 
  • From Southern California Edison.
  • From L.A. Department of Water and Power.
  • Know your local media outlets that can help you navigate what’s happening during the emergency (we’re here on LAist 89.3 and LAist.com).
• Have a go-bag with medical and pet essentials fully stocked in case you need to escape from a fire or head to somewhere cooler. Basics for an emergency kit include:
  
  • Food, including nonperishable food and a manual can opener.
  • Water (tap water may not flow if you use an electric pump to move that water)
  • Cash
  • Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Hand-crank NOAA radio
  • More on how to prepare a go-bag here and here
• Make sure your car’s gas tank or battery is at least halfway full and plan an escape route from your neighborhood.
  
• Know how to open any electric garage doors or gates manually.
  
• Identify and physically write down emergency numbers (fire department, sheriff’s department, police, hospital, doctor, relatives, neighbor, coworker) in case your phone dies or 911 call lines go out (which happened during Tropical Storm Hilary in Palm Springs, though text lines still worked).
  
• Have a plan for a safe, cool place to go if you are not safe to ride out the outage or fire at home. 
  
• Have a cooler and ice to keep food fresh.
  
• Keep that landline — it’ll likely work during a power outage.

During the outage

During an outage, Castro said it’s important to unplug and turn off everything to avoid power surges and potentially sparking a fire when power is restored. She suggested leaving one light on so you know when the power goes back on.

Free backup power for medical devices

For people who rely on electric medical equipment or live in high-risk fire areas, Southern California Edison offers free portable backup batteries. Learn more about the program here.

If you do rely on battery-powered medical devices, it’s also important to let your local emergency service operators and electricity providers know that. Also have a plan for if you live in a building that uses elevators or otherwise may be difficult to get out in the case of a power outage or other emergency.

Resource lists

You can read Southern California Edison’s full list of tips for what to do before and during a power outage here. And L.A. County has more emergency preparation guidance here.