Power Outages
Widespread power outages can disrupt communities and have large economic impacts. Electricity outages can cause welfare issues, particularly with heating, sanitation and medical facilities for vulnerable groups such as elderly and sick.
What are the impacts of power outages.
- Think about how you will manage at home with no electricity. It’s handy to have:
- Torches; a radio and spare batteries
- An alternative way to cook (BBQ or camp stove)
- A bit of spare cash if EFTPOS and ATM are down
- Have solar or battery powered radio so you can keep up with the latest news and alerts.
- If power is out your fridge and freezer will stop working unless you have an alternative power source. You need to eat the food in your fridge first, followed by the food in your freezer then your cupboards. Only open the fridge and freezer when it is necessary.
- Depending on the time of year, heating may be an issue. Use warm clothes, sleeping bags/foil survival blankets or LPG heaters/Log burners to keep warm.
- Stay informed with the latest updates from official sources like Taranaki Emergency Management or emergency services.
- Look out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and stay away from damaged areas.
- Don’t overload phone lines with non-emergency calls, sends text messages where possible and only use your phone for short essential calls to keep the lines clear for emergency calls.
No water
Disruption to the water supply could mean going without a running toilet, shower, or ways to clean your dishes.
Water demand can be expected to increase significantly for volcanic eruptions. Water would be used to flush ash from roofs, for increased abattoir kills, and for fighting fires.
- Store a minimum of three litres of drinking water per person per day for three days – that is, nine litres per person – for drinking and basic sanitation.
- Keep empty bottles and thoroughly clean them. Fill them to the top with regular tap water until it overflows. Store in a cool, dark place. Don’t forgot about babies and pets. Find out more about storing water.
No phone or internet
Talk to your family about how you will get in touch and where you will meet up in an emergency if the phone lines and/or internet are down.
- Make sure you have a household plan that outlines if you have kids, who will pick them up from school – and provide the school with names of three people who could pick up your kids if you can’t get there.
- Have a solar or battery powered radio so you can keep up with the latest news and updates.
Roading
Taranaki can become isolated with three main state highways in and out of the region. If you can’t take your normal route home, how will you get there?
- Agree on a meeting plan if you can’t get home, it might be the school, a friend’s place or with family.
- If you work away from home, find workmates who live in your area, in an emergency you could travel together.
- Have a Grab Bag at work or in your car, with walking shoes, warm clothes, some snack food and a bottle of water, a torch, batteries and radio are useful too.
- Give the school or day-care a list of three people who can pick the kids up if you can’t get there.