No Power, No Problem!: Emergency Preparedness For Your Homeschool

by Megan Mora Fuentes

Being prepared for an emergency can mean the difference between life and death. Even in situations that are not necessarily life-threatening, emergency preparedness can save you stress, money, and valuable time. It’s easy to be caught off guard if you haven’t thought through a plan of action and prepped your family to deal with common situations like power outages, extended traffic jams, and severe weather. The resources in this Homeschool Living will not only help you prepare for an emergency, but will also teach your homeschool students how to plan and the importance of preparation.

Emergency Preparedness for Power

One of the most dangerous elements of any emergency is the potential power outage. With no electricity, people are more likely to resort to dangerous heating and cooking methods, be injured due to lack of appropriate tools or adequate lighting, and can lose access to necessary information if communication devices fail. Use these ten things to do to prepare for a power outage as a base on which to build your family’s emergency plan.

If your heat is electric or ever relies on an electric thermostat or control to function, a power outage in winter can have dire consequences. It doesn’t take long for the temperature to get uncomfortably cold, and if nothing can be done to remedy the situation, it can get dangerous. The Provident Prepper shares information on a variety of alternative heat sources, how to use them safely and appropriately, how to plan for a heating crisis, and more.

Cooking during a power outage is extremely challenging. While it’s important to have a store of non-perishable, shelf-stable foods for use during an emergency, those foods might get old quickly if you experience a more extended outage. It can be preferable or even necessary to look into alternative cooking methods in order to provide for yourself and your family in an emergency. Check out these ten ways to have a hot meal during a power outage for an overview on different methods of cooking hot food, and think about what you’d like to incorporate into your family’s emergency preparedness plan.

Emergency Preparedness Resources

Ready.gov has a ton of resources to help you plan for emergencies. You’ll find tips and checklists for preparing for winter weather, severe weather, power outages, and a long list of other emergency situations. Ready Kids shares games and activities for kids, teens, and families to help everyone in the family reach their emergency preparedness goals.

For more resources on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency, check out Powerful Keys to Emergency Preparedness.