3 Emergencies in 30 Days where Solar Power Would've Helped

At the beginning of March, a pole fire caused a 7-8 hour power outage for many residents of Orem, UT—one of which was me. As my husband and I scrambled in the dark trying to Replace our spare flashlights, I quickly realized that we were not as prepared as we should have been. Over the past month, other similar emergencies have occurred across the country that resulted in the loss of power. In these specific situations (as well in other emergencies) solar power could have helped ease the tension of the crisis. I know it would have for me! Solar power helps you remain self-reliant in the face of a disaster. Prepping you and your family with solar power can give you the tools and skills you need to help your family get through an emergency much more comfortably. Check out these three emergencies that happened in the past month where those affected could have benefited from storing a solar power option.

Power Out for a Million

In early February, winter storm Nika spread across the Northeast dropping snow and ice, and knocking out power for an estimated one million people—some were even left without it for days. Read the rest of the story here. In these icy conditions, a reserve of solar power gear would have helped many people power appliances, and tools for communication. You can charge your cell phone (how will you let loved ones know you’re okay?), your laptop, radio (to keep in touch with news updates), and other electronic devices using solar power. Tools such as the Yeti 1250 Home Essentials Kit give you all the tools you’d need to power multiple devices at once. However, if you’re looking for a basic setup to get started, you can add items like the Switch 8 (a compact, portable power pack to power up any device via USB) and a [Nomad 7] solar panel (or other panel) to your emergency gear.

Possible Attack on the Power Grid

A 2013 attack on an electric grid near San Jose, CA has many now wondering whether they’d be able to survive a long-term power outage. Since our society relies so much on power, an attack on the power grid could be devastating. Read the rest of the story here. If the power grid went down, you’d be left to your own devices to light, heat, and cook in your home. Are you prepared to power your own home for weeks or months on end? In this situation, solar power could help keep your family’s perishable food cold, keep the lights turned on in the dark, and provide you with a way to power portable heaters. In a long-term emergency, which an attack on the power grid could certainly cause, all you’d have to do is gather sunlight during the day to provide power for your family at night.

Staying Toasty in Texas: No power? No problem!

In early February 2014, a gas leak required companies to turn off the natural gas supply for most of North Texas—leaving many without a way to heat their homes on a day when temperatures sat abnormally below-freezing. Read the rest of the story here. Keeping a portable heater on hand will help you stay warm during heat-related emergencies. But not all portable heaters run on propane. Some portable heaters are electric which wouldn’t be as helpful during a power outage…unless you’ve prepared with solar power. Solar power can provide you with the power you need to run a portable electric heater so you can stay warm. You could also try adding a portable heater like the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy which gives you safe, reliable propane heat indoors. No need for electricity at all!

Why Solar Power?

Adding gear such as the Yeti 1250 Home Essentials Kit can help you survive an emergency power outage. With the Yeti 1250, you get 1250 watt-hours of power so you can run multiple devices at the same time. Think about powering your laptop, cell phone, or microwave all at once. Having solar power can not only give you power for light, but for communication, cooking, and more. The Yeti 1250 Home Essentials’ Kit is ideal to use in a long-term outage such as the one that left a million people across the Northeast without power, or even for a possible attack against the power grid. This kit includes:

• 2 Boulder 30M Solar Panels to help you collect power
• 1 Yeti 1250 —an emission free, solar power generator.
• 4 Light-A-Life’s to disperse your stored power as light. These lights require low energy so your power can last longer when you need it to most. Light-A-Life’s have been rated for 20,000 hours of use.

Are you a solar power advocate? What do you use solar power for? --Kim Editor's Note: The Staying Toasty in Texas event did not encompass the whole region of Northern Texas. The city of Jacksboro was the main town invovled. Sources: http://www.weather.com/news/commuter-conditions/winter-storm-nika-latest-news-20140203