Washington Had States' Fifth-Highest Number of Power Outages Last Year

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Washington state had the 5th highest number of power outages in the U.S. in 2021 according to Stacker, a data analysis website, so being prepared for power outages in your own home is very important.

Power outages not only disrupt our own homes, but close retail businesses, ATMs, grocery stores, gas stations and other services people rely on. Power outages can also cause water contamination and food spoilage, disrupt transportation and prevent use of medical devices, according to Ready.gov, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security website.

How to prepare for a power outage:

Homeland Security advises citizens to prepare for power outages by:

— Take an inventory of items in your home that need electricity, and have batteries or other power sources available to keep them charged.

— Talk to your doctor about medical devices or medicines that rely on power or refrigeration.

— Have non-perishable food and water stored in your home.

Puget Sound Energy reminds those in Washington state to prepare for a power outage by having a plan:

— Know how to manually open and close electric doors such as garage doors.



— Know how to properly shut off your natural gas if needed.

— Create an emergency kit of items you may need in a power outage or other emergency.

The Red Cross advises citizens to recognize how a power outage will affect their home's cooling, heating, lighting, cooking equipment, food and medicine refrigeration and medical and medical equipment, and plan ahead before an outage:

— Install carbon monoxide and fire alarms and make sure to replace batteries regularly.

— Create a pet emergency kit if you have animals at home, and make sure to also stock up on foods they need.

— Stay connected in order to know updated information. Sign up for text alert systems and alert apps to stay up to date on the power outage.

— Make sure you have surge protectors on all household appliances.

— Prepare for your heating and cooling needs. You cannot use outdoor heaters, stoves or generators to heat your home, so you may need to plan on staying somewhere else during a power outage.