Dana Armstrong
As I write this, our area is recovering from a bomb cyclone storm—an intimidating name for an intimidating event. Around 7,650 households are currently without electricity, and that’s just in Seattle. The East Side was hit even harder—many people are facing multiple days without power (not to mention heat!). While Madison Park’s Emergency Hub didn’t activate (since here in Central Seattle we had minimal storm impact and phone and Internet service weren’t disrupted), I did think about the fact that our Hub might need to activate, in a similar situation, to help people share resources, and what that might look like.
Mostly, reflecting on the storm’s effects, I thought about what I’d personally need to gather up in my house if the power went out (mainly light sources, cell phone power banks, and wooly socks/slippers for cold feet).
I also thought about preparedness tasks I’ve considered doing but haven’t done yet. Like moving our headlamps from my camping bin to our bedside tables (more practical than flashlights for unexpected darkness). And that I really should charge up my backup phone backup charger (which was in my travel drawer; naturally for someone into prepping, I have two). And perhaps my emergency radio could also use a charge-up in preparation for winter storm season.
With these once-in-a-lifetime storms becoming more like once-every-six-months, preparedness is not just something we can do for ourselves. Preparedness gear can make innovative holiday gifts for less prepped/more optimistic friends and relatives. In my opinion, this gear is important but doesn’t feel essential—elements that make for great gifts. And with preparedness, don’t worry if your giftees might already have some of these items: more is definitely more, since they can always store things in their car or at work, or “share their bounty” with less prepared neighbors.
Given that it is nearly gift season, here are some gift suggestions to keep loved ones safe in power outages and other disasters. Many of them are quite technical, so useful gifts for gadget heads. Consider shopping locally for these items at Madison Park’s hardware store and pharmacy!
Emergency Prep Gift Suggestions
Flashlights that double as nightlights
Easy to find, always charged up, and have a non-emergency function—what’s not to love? The American Red Cross–sponsored Blackout Buddy brand lights are plugged in throughout our house, but there are other alternatives, including one from Energizer.
Headlamps. I could write an ode to LED headlamps. Small, hands-free, inexpensive, and good for camping as well as emergencies. They come in cute colors, and even have fun straps! I even carry one in my purse, because you never know.
LED Lanterns
A headlamp helps you find things in the dark, but what about living your “the power is out” life? My favorite power-outage activity (ok, I’ll be honest, it’s my favorite non-power-outage activity, too) is playing board games, and LED lanterns are perfect for getting your game on in the dark. Some brands are USB-rechargeable and don’t require batteries.
Power banks. Also called backup phone chargers. I have bought these items as gifts for different friends and family members, since everyone can use them for travel or when away from home all day. I swear by my Anker brand charger: it gives hours of power, can charge two devices at once, and only needs a lightning cable to charge both my device and itself. (I use a rubber band to keep a small cable attached to my power bank.)
Emergency radios
The best radios have multiple functions: AM/FM/Weather radio, flashlight, device charging. I recommend buying one that includes a hand crank as a non-battery option. Powering it up can be tedious work (as my Hubmate Mary Beth says, it’s both “an arm workout and a charge!”) but when you’re desperate for cell phone minutes, it’s any port in a (literal) storm!
Large water containers
Not a power outage need, but handy for emergencies like earthquakes that might render our local water supply sketchy. Since anyone can buy a case of water at the grocery store, I like the thoughtfulness of giving water supplies that are intended and reserved for emergencies. The 5-gallon containers I have are collapsible, BPA-free (so I don’t have to worry about deterioration), and include a spigot, so could be used for drinking or hand-washing, as needed.
Reusable commercial water bottles
Another gift alternative is a case of water in aluminum cans or bottles (likely a more appealing gift for preparedness-minded friends; normal folks might raise an eyebrow). I’m a fan of aluminum bottles (I have a few cases of Open Water brand); they’re reusable (unlike conventional plastic bottles), which might matter during an emergency, since you will want to refill your water from safe water supplies and can’t easily carry a big drum of water several blocks. Cans and bottles are also light and will fit easily in a backpack. I much prefer this solution to conventional emergency water pouches, that you have to throw out after use.
And before the next one…
Seattle City Light’s website offered some helpful tips on preparing for a storm. Two less intuitive tips:
If you know a storm is headed your way, fill your gas tank or charge up your electric vehicle (EV).
Know how to open your garage door manually or place a vehicle outside of the garage for easy access in case you need to vacate the property.
Before the next storm hits, I recommend you bookmark Seattle City Light’s Outage Map web page (at seattle.gov/city-light/outages), as it shows all outages in the city and includes helpful estimates of when power might be restored.
As always, this column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. We’re an all-volunteer org focused on neighbors helping neighbors in an emergency. If you’d like to get involved with a group of neighbors who want to help people and contemplate disasters, it’s a light lift AND a lot of fun. Mail us at madparkhub@gmail.com with questions or to get on our mailing list.