When the power goes out are you at risk?
@lookatdesktop (27156)
Dallas, Texas
March 10, 2017 9:57am CST
I know that a power outage is a very unexpected thing yet expected as well, during a thunderstorm. We don't have power backup generators nor a backup power supply for the computer. The things that can happen from a power outage especially during a thunderstorm and at night, can be both a frightening experience but it can pose serious risks.
One of the biggest problems with sudden power outages, especially when they happen in the middle of the night when you are asleep.
1. You might be startled by the sound of thunder from a lightening strike, get up out of bed in a hurry, faint and fall on the floor from blood loss to the brain or you may hurry across the room to reach for a flashlight and trip in the dark and fall and hit your head.
2. You might decide it is a good thing to burn candles at night but that is a bad idea. If you improperly place a lit candle near a window curtain or for that matter on an unstable surface like a coffee table or counter top and you are living near heavy traffic, you might wake up with your house on fire!
3. You may use a CPAP breathing machine or an oxygen machine while you sleep and if the power is turned off due to a sudden blackout from such a storm, in the middle of the night, you might suffer from oxygen deprivation just enough to spur a heart attack! These are just a few dangers that occur during a major power outage and then the last thing you need is to try calling 911 for a medical emergency and all of your home phones are cordless and without electricity running in your house you could not make that call to emergency.
The other thing is, when your power goes out, the electronic security systems in your home, your surveillance cameras, your household alarms will not work. Often times, burglars have been known to act hastily during a major storm by breaking into homes that the thieves know is occupied by elderly or disabled adults by tale tell signs like a front porch ramp or a car with a handicap license plate or just in a bad neighborhood. Looting in stores and home invasions often occur during a blackout.
Be prepared for all of these things by having backup power generators, flashlights, a few solar panels to provide emergency power to lights in the home and telephone use. The alarm system in your home should always have a backup power source and if you use any kind of breathing machine at night while you sleep, you have to find a place to get a continuous power supply for it. These may be the very things that keep you safe and alive during the next major storm and unexpected blackout.
As for being able to call 911, you have to have your cell phone on hand 24/7, it's that important.
A power outage can be bad for your PC, but a power surge can severely damage your hardware. In all but the worst cases, however, you should be able to revive the PC, or at least retrieve any files stored on it.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@pammooratan (4668)
• India
10 Mar 17
You told right about cell phone in hand .I f cell phone is in hand we can be able to contact any one.
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27156)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Mar 17
For this reason I have such a phone, but the one I own is a TRAC FONE that costs very cheap that I just buy a phone card for 60 minutes every 3 months and renew my phone and keep the old minutes and have them added to my new minutes. I don't use my cell phone for other than emergency and general phone use when on the go.

@lookatdesktop (27156)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Mar 17
Knowing this motivates me to think that we all need better ways to keep things well lit at night by using any means necessary. The street lights in the city need to keep lit and when one is run down by a drunken motorist, there needs to be a mandatory minimum time period for the implementation of putting another light up in it's place ASAP, not letting Oncor take it's ever loving time to replace one, especially knowing that a missing street light will probably cause more traffic accidents on certain roads that have major S - curves and a frequency of accidents that involve single car collisions with light fixtures at the median due to high speeds, drunken driving, and poor lighting. Thieves do take advantage of the dark and we need to keep our property lights working 24/7.
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27156)
• Dallas, Texas
10 Mar 17
@Kandae11 I would imagine so. And during a heavy rain storm it could be very scary indeed.
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@Kandae11 (57231)
•
10 Mar 17
@lookatdesktop Our house is set on rather large grounds with lots of fruit trees - but it is well lighted. However, it can be scary when there is a power outage.
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