If the power goes out during a blizzard, heavy snowfall or ice storm, do you know how to ensure your own safety and mitigate damage to your home?
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you → go → home
While many power outages are only momentary, on occasion a severe winter storm can cause sustained outages for hours or even days.
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storm → cause → hours
That left parts of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada without power for days on end.
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That → leave → end
Rather than waiting until a storm is approaching, there’s a lot you can do ahead of time.
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you → wait → time
“The best time to prepare for an outage is always going to be before one happens,” said Dan Smart, vice-president, distribution operations, with Toronto Hydro.
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Smart → prepare → Hydro
“What we typically suggest is that every household have an emergency kit with enough supplies to last 72 hours.”
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household → suggest → hours
Yet, according to Hydro One, 87 per cent of Ontarians don’t have an emergency preparedness kit on hand.
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cent → accord → hand
This kit should include items such as non-perishable food, bottled water, wind-up or battery-powered flashlights, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, blankets, a first aid kit and charged power banks, as well as a list of emergency numbers.
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kit → include → numbers
Keep everything in a backpack or duffle bag and make sure everyone in your household knows where to find it.
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everyone → keep → it
If you don’t know, find out where the circuit breaker and water shutoff valves are located in your home.
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breaker → know → home
That way, “if anything needs attention during an extended outage, you’re not searching for valves or breakers or anything like that,” said Smart.
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Smart → need → that
If you don’t have a backup generator, autumn may be a good time to buy one — before the first snowfall.
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autumn → have → snowfall
If you haven’t done so already, it’s also a good idea to plug your electronics into a surge protector, which helps reduce the risk of electrical surges that can damage electronics or cause electrical fires.
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that → do → fires
Once winter arrives, stay up to date with the latest weather alerts so you’re prepared for potential outages.
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you → arrive → outages
For example, fully charge your cellphone and power banks ahead of time, so during the storm you’ll be able to keep up with the latest updates and check on your loved ones.
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you → charge → ones
Hydro One has a province-wide live outage map with updates every 10 minutes — and, perhaps most importantly, estimated restoration times.
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Hydro → have → updates
You can also sign up for outage alerts — by text or email — for your neighbourhood.
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You → sign → neighbourhood
Each utility, such as Toronto Hydro, also has its own outage map.
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utility → have → map
During a storm, the goal is to keep as much heat in your home as you can.
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you → keep → home
“If you’ve got multiple [window] panes, make sure they’re all closed,” said Smart.
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Smart → get → panes
If you have a backup generator, never use it indoors or in an enclosed space like a garage, he said.
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he → have → garage
The same goes for barbeques, propane heaters or any other fuel-burning equipment, which can create a carbon monoxide risk.
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which → go → risk
A freezer will keep food cold for about 48 hours, so long as you don’t open the door.
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you → keep → door
Food in the fridge will last about four hours.
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Food → last → fridge
To avoid frozen pipes, consider leaving the tap slightly open, so a drip of water is coming through.
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drip → avoid → water
So, when should you leave your home?
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you → leave → home
That decision will look different for everyone, depending on how your home is constructed and how household members may be impacted.
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members → look → everyone
Smart recommends monitoring the temperature and having a plan for where to go if it gets to the point where it’s not tenable anymore.
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it → recommend → point
“As much as possible, we also recommend you check on neighbours,” he said, “particularly any seniors or anybody who may need extra support.”
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who → recommend → support
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