Out of Electricity for 21 Hours

I was without electricity for twenty-one hours starting Tuesday night at 8:30. It finally came back on at 5:30 Wednesday evening. Iowa was in the midst of a raging blizzard with six inches of snow on Wednesday after rain and sleet Tuesday. Included in this was up to sixty mile per hours winds. It started to get really windy Tuesday afternoon and just got worse from there.

This was not the worst blizzard I have been through. It was relatively short lived. Blizzards in March always bring a little something to the table though. This time it was some ice and wet, heavy snow.

I live in the country and you would think I had been out of power many times. You would be wrong. I have a reliable electric utility that is quick to fix when there are problems with the lines.

The longest I have been out of power was overnight for eight hours about ten years ago. Being without electricity for twenty-one hours was a surprise.

I have talked about this on the blog multiple times. You should always be prepared for power outages. They will happen. Having a supply of water, candles, batteries, flashlights, lanterns, and power packs will get you through most short-term power outages.

I used all those things. When the power first went out (after flickering about five times), I immediately lit an unscented candle. I went out to the front entryway to get a flashlight and a small battery-powered lantern. I used that flashlight to see throughout the house.

Then I unplugged the computer in the office and a few other things that I didn't want ruined by flickering power surges. After that, I went to the basement.

I had put a load of laundry in the washer roughly an hour before this started. It should have been done or close to being done. I ran into something I wasn't prepared for.

I couldn't get the washer door to open. I decided to wait until morning to see what I could do. I searched for ways to open the front load washer door when the power was out. I waited for the washer to cool down. I tried draining the remaining water. Nothing worked. I ended up rerunning the load when the power came back on. However, I have made it a priority to get this figured out in case it happens again.

I had fed and watered the outdoor animals Tuesday night. I gave them each enough to last until Thursday morning and they were fine. I also closed up the chicken coop so snow did not get in there.

Wednesday morning I decided I needed something hot to eat and drink. I had been eating apples, oranges, and some crackers. I didn't want to go to the camper to use the stove or get the camp stove. The wind was so bad and the visibility was worse.

I got out my Sterno stove and cans. I haven't really messed with this before and I always thought of them as a last resort. I'm not sure why because it was so easy to use! The Sterno stove worked quicker than I thought which was great. I made myself a large insulated cup of tea and warmed up a can of soup. When you are getting cold, don't overestimate having something warm to eat and drink. It helps so much!

I didn't use the Sterno stove enough to be a carbon monoxide issue. However, the smell afterwards took some getting used to. Burning fuel will always have a smell. If you need to go this route, keep a battery powered carbon monoxide detector and be ready to use it.

During the day, I either would do some cleaning or sit snuggled up under a blanket reading a book or being on my phone. I was fortunate to still have cell phone signal which kept me updated on the weather and the outage map for my electrical provider. I also kept me in touch with loved ones.

The house got down to 52°F which was cool for me. It was not unbearable, but if the power stayed out, I might have had to look at other options like the generator or my Mr. Buddy heater. I didn't want to use them until necessary because they both use fuel (gas, propane) and that was limited.

I kept my phone charged with a power pack. I strongly recommend having these and always keeping them charged. It charged my phone in about four hours and helped to keep me in touch.

All in all, the power outage wasn't so bad. It was just me at home which makes it easier to be content. I could endure a longer one with a little more forethought. I didn't expect to lose power so I wasn't as prepared as I should have been.

I am thankful that the outage didn't last long. I am even more thankful that I was prepared to deal with it. I felt better knowing I had the tools at hand to get through this. It could have been worse, but thankfully I wasn't.

Erica

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