It may take several days for Versant and Central Maine Power to return electricity to all of the more than 400,000 Maine customers that lost power during Monday’s wind and rain storm.
Though temperatures as of Tuesday morning remain relatively mild across the state and will stay in the upper 40s for much of the day, it’s expected to drop below freezing by 10 p.m. and stay there until late morning Wednesday.
Here are seven tips to stay warm and safe during an extended power outage.
Staying warm without a safe source of heat
With the power out, most furnaces don’t work, and unless you have a wood stove or fireplace, you may be without a safe source of heat. Some people have indoor propane heaters, and while those certainly can work, users must be very careful with them to ensure that they are safe for indoor use and won’t cause carbon monoxide poisoning. When in doubt, don’t use anything that requires gas or open flame.
The safest option for staying warm indoors without a heat source is to keep everyone in the household — including pets — in the same room with the doors closed. Roll up towels and put them along the bottom of the door if there’s a draft. Hang blankets on the windows, too, and put on as many layers as possible. Snuggle together for warmth, ideally on a soft, shared surface like a bed or sofa.
Lights in the darkness
Of course a major statewide power outage occurred on the darkest days of the year. The sun sets at 3:55 p.m. and doesn’t rise again until just past 7 a.m., so that’s more than 15 hours of darkness to contend with.
The obvious choices for electricity-free lights are battery-powered lanterns and lamps, flashlights, headlamps and candles. Hopefully, you’ve got plenty of batteries hanging around to keep those lights on. As for candles, it’s important to be careful with any open flame and keep a close eye on them. Keep them away from any flammable materials or unpredictable pets or small children.
Local resources
If you’re unable to keep warm or have other safety concerns about staying in your home without power, contact your local city or town hall or public safety departments for advice on where to go or how to get help. As the day progresses and power companies update the status of outages across the state, municipalities may open warming centers and other facilities for those left stranded. The Maine Emergency Management Agency also maintains a list of communities that have facilities open to the public.
Staying connected
One of the most annoying parts of a power outage is keeping phones and other devices charged. It’s tempting to zone out on your phone since there’s probably no TV or internet available, but you also need to have it functional for safety’s sake in case of an emergency. When not in use, keep your phone on airplane mode to reduce the amount of power the battery uses. Turn down your screen brightness as well. And avoid using battery-chewing apps like YouTube, TikTok or mobile games, no matter how tempting it may be.
No-power dinner
It’s a sad fact that unless you’re able to move perishable items to a functioning refrigerator or freezer, there’s a good chance you’re going to lose some food to spoilage. That said, you can leave frozen goods outside so they won’t spoil, though be mindful of temperature swings and other weather changes. And if you can’t do either of those things, try to avoid opening the fridge or freezer door at all to keep as much cold in as possible. Need heat-free dinner ideas? Check out this Bangor Daily News guide to power outage cuisine.
Watch out for frozen pipes
When the temperature drops below freezing your pipes can freeze if there’s no other heat to keep the water flowing. If you haven’t already, be sure to leave a tiny drip of water on all your sinks and showers so your pipes don’t burst.
Make the most of it
There’s no getting around it: extended power outages are not fun. It’s a good excuse to pretend it’s the 19th century, however. Card and board games, reading, knitting and other crafts, even just sitting around and talking to each other. It worked for humans for 99 percent of our species’ existence, so it’ll work for you for a few nights.
