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If you want some news or a little entertainment while the power is out, you'll need a battery-powered (or wind-up) radio, along with spare batteries. Your car radio also makes a good backup, but it can get pretty chilly sitting out in the car for very long. Heating and cooking can become a real issue if the outage is extended, A conventional wood stove makes a good backup for both functions Most pellet stoves lack a cooking surface and require electrical power to operate. Propane-fired kitchen stoves will continue without electrical power, as will most propane-fired water heaters, but you may have to use a match to light stove burners. Residents with electric ranges may want to consider purchasing a small one- or two-burner propane or butane cook top for emergency purposes. Just remember that anytime you use an open, gas fired appliance indoors you need to crack a window or two to ensure air replenishment and be cautious of carbon monoxide buildup. Under no circumstances should you use a bar-b-que or hibachi indoors! (However, they can be used OUTSIDE, away from combustible materials.)
Garage Door Openers
Electric garage door openers obviously don't operate when the power is out. But your car isn't trapped inside when that happens. There is an override that allows you to manually open and close your garage door. Refer to your door opener operating instructions if you still have them. If not, look for a cord dangling down from the connection between the door bracket and the opener mechanism that travels back and forth as the door opens or closes. Pulling down on the cord should release the opener mechanism, allowing you to manually open or close the door. You may need to first pull down and then towards one end or the other to latch the release in the open position., Try out the manual release before the power goes out to familiarize yourself with its operation.
Generators
Many people have purchased gasoline powered electrical generators to serve as a backup power source during an extended outage. In most cases these are portable units that have limited capacity; you can run a few lights or a couple of small appliances at a time from heavy extension cords connected to the generator. This allows you to do a few essential things while the power is out, but probably not run an electric range or oven, an electric dryer, the furnace or anything with a high power demand. A few people have installed what is called a "whole house" generator, which is a very large unit that feeds power directly into the house wiring at the
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