The first official monsoon storm hit last week and thousands
of homes were without power around metro Phoenix and in northern Arizona.
Many of us think we need to complain to the management
company or the owner of our rental home, but those folks don’t have any “power”
over the outages. But there are a lot of easy things to do to make outages
easier.
Charge your phones
and iPad. In a power outage, your phone will be your lifeline to the power
company, your management company and to information about when your power
company expects to have electricity restored. Your phone will have a signal
when your power is out.
Unplug unnecessary
appliances. In an electrical storm, you can avoid power surges that will
harm your computer or toaster if you unplug these appliances and electronics.
When the power comes back on, your appliances may be in danger of a power surge
that could harm your electronics.
Add your manager’s
phone number and the power company’s phone number to your phone. Having
your account number handy will help, too.
Keep your
refrigerator closed. Avoid opening and closing the fridge doors, which will
let the cool air out. Your fridge will hold your food safely for hours if you
keep the doors closed.
Keep flashlights and
candles handy. Put a flashlight in your bedroom and one in the living room
or kitchen. Candles also can be a great source of light, but be sure to
extinguish them before you go to sleep.