Faithful, Free & Ready | Part 3 of 7
Faith in God. Love of Country. Responsibility at Home.
It starts with a click. The refrigerator goes quiet. The lights blink out. The Wi-Fi disappears. At first, you figure the utility company will have everything running again by supper. But supper comes, and the house is still dark.
Most of us have experienced a power outage. What we don’t always appreciate is how many other things stop working when electricity does. And in the Pacific Northwest, where windstorms, fallen trees, and earthquakes are real concerns, it’s worth having a family conversation about what we’d do if the power stayed off.
Not because we know a disaster is coming tomorrow. Because responsible people plan for ordinary risks before they become emergencies.
The First Surprise: No Power Can Mean No Water
If your home gets water from a private well, the pump may need electricity to bring it to your faucets. Some pressure tanks hold a limited amount of water, but that isn’t a substitute for a dependable emergency supply. Once pressure is gone, turning the tap may accomplish nothing.
Before an outage, find out your well pump’s voltage, running power, starting surge, depth, and whether it has a compatible backup connection. Ask a licensed electrician and qualified well professional what options are safe for your particular system. Never improvise wiring or backfeed electricity through an outlet. Backfeeding can kill utility workers and damage equipment.
For many families, the simplest first step is not an expensive pump system. It’s storing drinking water and planning for hygiene. The CDC recommends at least one gallon per person per day for three days, and says to try for two weeks if possible. Thirty days is an additional household resilience goal that requires considerably more storage.
Save the Food Before You Worry About Comfort
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. According to the CDC, an unopened refrigerator generally keeps food safe for about four hours. A full unopened freezer can hold temperature for roughly 48 hours, or 24 hours if half full. These are general estimates, not permission to eat food that has warmed to unsafe temperatures.
A refrigerator thermometer and freezer thermometer help you make decisions. When in doubt about perishable food safety, throw it out. Don’t taste food to test it.
Source: CDC, Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency.
What Can a Battery Power Station Actually Do?
Portable battery power stations can be useful. They can charge phones, run LED lights, and sometimes power a refrigerator for a limited time. But capacity and output are different things. A unit rated at 1,000 watt-hours doesn’t automatically provide 1,000 watts for an hour at the wall. Conversion losses, cycling appliances, battery reserves, and temperature affect actual runtime.
Here’s a simplified example: if an appliance averages 60 watts over time, a 1,000 watt-hour battery with 85 percent usable energy might provide around 14 hours. But a refrigerator cycles on and off, and its starting surge can exceed its normal running draw. Your actual results may be very different.
A battery that handles your refrigerator may not handle your well pump. Pumps can require substantial starting current and may use 240-volt circuits that common portable power stations cannot supply. Don’t buy based on a marketing headline. Match the equipment to the measured electrical load and safe connection method.
Solar Helps, But the Sun Doesn’t Sign a Contract
Solar panels can recharge a battery during an extended outage, but their output depends on weather, season, shade, panel orientation, and daylight. Pacific Northwest winter storms can mean long stretches of low production. A solar panel’s advertised wattage is a laboratory rating, not a promise of daily energy.
If you’re considering solar backup, estimate your essential daily watt-hours, compare that against realistic winter solar production, and include a reserve for cloudy days. Portable panels need secure placement and proper weather protection. Don’t assume a rooftop grid-tied solar system will keep supplying power during an outage; many shut down unless equipped for backup operation.
Generators Demand Respect
Fuel-powered generators can support larger loads, but they introduce carbon monoxide, fuel-storage, noise, and electrical hazards. Never operate one inside a house, garage, shed, porch, or near doors, windows, or vents. Follow manufacturer and CDC placement guidance, use outdoor-rated equipment, and install working carbon monoxide alarms.
A house that is not wired for generator power can still have some appliances powered directly with correctly rated cords where the manufacturer’s instructions allow it. Connecting a generator to household wiring requires a properly installed transfer switch or other approved interconnection by a qualified electrician. Never use a homemade male-to-male cord.
Sources: Ready.gov, Power Outages; CDC, Generator Safety.
When the Internet and Cell Towers Go Quiet
A charged phone is useful, but it isn’t a complete communications plan. Cell networks can become congested, and home internet usually depends on power at your house and elsewhere in the network. Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio, printed emergency contacts, and a family meeting plan.
Text messages may get through when voice calls struggle, but never assume they will. Know how to receive local emergency alerts, and agree on where to meet if communications fail. Check on neighbors who may be isolated or depend on powered medical equipment.
Heat, Light, and the Temptation to Take Shortcuts
Use LED flashlights and lanterns instead of candles when possible. Keep spare batteries and warm blankets accessible. Never use a charcoal grill, camp stove, or outdoor heater inside your home for warmth. Never use a gas oven to heat the house. Carbon monoxide is invisible and can be deadly.
If someone in the household relies on oxygen equipment, refrigerated medication, or another electricity-dependent medical device, make a specific backup plan with the healthcare team before an emergency. That may include arranging a safe location with power.
Faith Doesn’t Eliminate the Need for a Plan
Proverbs 21:5 reminds us that diligent planning matters. And Psalm 46 teaches that God is our refuge and strength in trouble. Those truths belong together. We can trust God without pretending the refrigerator will stay cold or the well will run without electricity.
Preparedness is not a competition to see who can buy the biggest generator. It is a form of stewardship. We want our families to be safe, our neighbors to be cared for, and our decisions to be guided by wisdom instead of fear.
Your Seven-Step Power Outage Checkup
First: Identify the appliances and systems your household cannot safely go without.
Second: Find out whether your water supply depends on an electric pump.
Third: Store enough water for a short outage, then build toward a longer supply.
Fourth: Put flashlights, batteries, a radio, and printed contacts where everyone can find them.
Fifth: Get refrigerator and freezer thermometers and learn food-safety rules.
Sixth: If buying backup power, calculate loads and starting surges before choosing equipment.
Seventh: Talk through the plan with your family, including what to do if someone needs medical assistance.
Coming Next: Raise Children Who Are Ready, Not Afraid
In Part 4, we’ll talk about preparing children for emergencies without filling their lives with anxiety. The goal isn’t to raise children who expect catastrophe. It’s to raise capable, compassionate people who know how to respond when life gets difficult.
A dark house doesn’t have to become a panicked house. A little preparation, a little patience, and a great deal of faith can make a hard night easier to face.
Pull up a chair. Let’s talk about it.
A Conversation With Dad
Faith. Family. Life Lessons.
https://aconversationwithdad.com
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