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By Aidan Boelsgaard

Being prepared for a sudden power outage

Sep 16, 2022 | 3:44 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A recent power outage left 6,215 residents in Medicine Hat without power for over three hours.

The communities of Southlands, Crestwood and Dunmore were impacted by the outage on Sept. 14 that was caused by a cable fault.

This recent outage brought up the question of what people can be doing to be more prepared for any future outages, especially with the winter months approaching very quickly.

For a short-term outage you should have items like a working flashlight and a working carbon monoxide detector as well as a personalized preparedness kit.

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These kits can include essentials like an emergency blanket, fresh water, and first aid supplies. Some other good things to keep in the kit are cash and even a portable radio so you can get updates on the outage.

To be more prepared for a long-term outage, it can be helpful to ensure your vehicle has at least half a tank of gas in it.

Electric utilities operations manager for the City of Medicine Hat Jeff Sandford says “we’re pretty fortunate here in Medicine Hat, we don’t have very many outages that last for a multi-day duration, however that being said we have had some recently.”

One concern for residents during a power outage is making sure their food doesn’t spoil. Sandford says it is best to keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Unopened refrigerators are supposed to be good for up to 4 hours. A freezer that hasn’t been opened can be good for 24-36 hours according to Sandford.

For crews working to restore power, Sandford says there is something residents can do to help. “Turning an outside light on when you have a power outage so when crews think they have restored the outage they can look up, and that makes it pretty obvious.”

For more information on how to be prepared for a power outage, you can check out the “Power outages: Before, During and After” page on the Red Cross website.