Power Outage Terminology

Rolling blackouts

• Rolling blackouts, or temporary power shortages, may happen from time to time when power companies turn the power off in certain areas to curb usage.

• Rolling blackouts occur during peak seasons and hours of energy consumption, usually in the summer, 4–7 p.m.

Summer blackouts

• Extreme heat is usually the cause of summer blackouts.

Space weather

• Space weather, sometimes called solar storms, can produce electromagnetic fields that cause extreme currents (power surges) in wires, disrupting power lines, and even causing widespread blackouts.

Prep Steps

• Verify and update official contact information in the Marine Corps Enterprise Mass Notification System (eMNS), and register all cell phones, home phone, email addresses, etc. in eMNS. 

• Make a family emergency plan.

• Back up computer files regularly.

• Keep your car tank full because gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.

• Keep a key to your house with you if you regularly use an electronic garage door opener to enter your home.

• Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it.

• Build an emergency kit.

What to do if there is a Power Outage

• Use flashlights rather than candles for light.

• Turn off the electrical equipment you were using when the power went out.

• Eliminate unnecessary travel.

• Remember that ATMs and elevators may not work.

• Drink and use bottled, boiled, or treated water.

• Make sure your pets have plenty of fresh, cool water.

• Try not to open the freezer or refrigerator often. A full freezer should keep food for 48 hours.

• Pack dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, and other items that can quickly spoil in a cooler surrounded by ice to extend their usability.

• Throw out any foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and left­overs) that have been exposed to temperatures higher than 40° F (4° C) for two hours or more, and any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture, or feels warm to touch.

If the power goes out in extreme heat:

• Stay hydrated by drinking a glass of water every 15–20 minutes.

• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.

• Keep the air circulating by opening doors and windows.

• Be aware of the possibility for a heat stroke.

If the power goes out in extreme cold: 

• Wear several layers of warm clothing.

• Keep moving to stay warm.

• Be aware of the possibility for hypothermia, which hap­pens when one’s body temperature falls below 95˚F.