Summer storms are bad enough for the damage they cause to your home and the inconvenience of having to make repairs. Winter storms can be worse as they can as much or more damage. When the power goes out in winter, it is scary and potentially dangerous if you aren't prepared to spend some time without power. Most of what you do while at home relies on power, whether hobbies to pass the time or heating the space and keeping yourself and your family comfortable.
Preparing for Winter
There are a few things you can do to prepare for winter and the possibility of a power outage due to a storm. An electrical inspection is always a good idea to find and fix any potential problems in your system before they reach a failure status. A back up power generator will give you peace of mind and provide at least a basic amount of electricity when the power goes out. Beyond that, you'll want to be prepared with a secondary source of emergency heat. This can be plenty of wood for a fireplace or a free standing fuel burning heater, and plenty of fuel of course. Keeping enough fuel in your car to get to safety is also a good idea.
What to Do when Winter Storms Hit
The first thing to remember when the power goes out is to remain calm. Keep a flashlight in a specific spot so you'll know where it is and get to it in the dark. First, you want to get everybody together in one room and make sure they are safe, and younger family members may need comforting. Then go check the circuit breaker box. Assuming the breakers haven't been flipped, call the power company and report the problem. Go ahead and start your heat source, it's easier to stay warm than get warm, and potentially start wetting up couch and floor space for sleeping in the living room.
Maintaining Your Peace of Mind
Storms happen and they do cause damage, but that's no reason to remain scared every time bad weather is forecast. By taking the proper preparations the effects will be minimal. Maintaining a good relationship with a professional electric contractor is another good idea as you will have confidence to know repairs will be done quickly and efficiently by a trusted specialist who does it right the first time.