YOUR INFORMATION NEWSLETTER FROM NORTHFIELD CENTER TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE
PAUL G. BUESCHER
~ KEEPING NCT RESIDENTS INFORMED SINCE 2005 ~
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#521 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 03, 2018
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WHAT IF THE POWER GOES OUT IN THIS FRIGID WEATHER?
“This is an unimaginable and nightmarish scenario but it is a very real possibility”
That is the question that I’ve been asking for the past twelve years and the same answer that I’ve been receiving scares the crap out me! If the power goes out in our region (All of Nordonia Hills and possibly beyond), there is little that can be done other than the County attempting to bus or direct unprepared residents to the few insufficient shelters in the area! This is according to several local emergency officials that I’ve talked with just recently and over the years. The closest shelter with a generator is the Macedonia Recreation Center. None of our schools have generators and other than our small fire station, none of our township buildings have generators! That is a situation that I am attempting to change.
Even if outside help was available, it would take days to implement. In the meantime, with temperatures in the teens and single digits, homes without power or alternative means of heat will quickly become uninhabitable! This is an unimaginable and nightmarish scenario but it is a very real possibility. What makes this even more scary is that all of the people that I spoke with on this subject had no definitive answers to my question. Their bottom line was that people have to take more responsibility for their own preparedness.
I’ve already written and talked about the importance of having a generator so I am not going to rehash that subject. Either you have one or you don’t. That’s your choice that you can live with or suffer without.
I’ve also learned from many folks that they converted their fireplaces from wood burning to gas because burning wood is “too messy and dirty.” That’s all fine and good but a gas fireplace can never produce the heat that a wood burning fireplace or separate wood-burner can. You might not realize it but in a really wide area power outage, you might lose gas pressure because the pumping stations require electric power! Remember the multi-state power outage in August 2003? All of Cleveland was without power and the water pumping stations shut down and we all lost our water!
There’s no doubt that during a scenario like this, many will resort to attempts to heat their homes with their gas stoves, kerosene heaters and other dangerous means. None of these are very wise but they will be used and some will inevitably result in fires and carbon monoxide poisoning!
Folks, I had a very hard time writing this because when I write about a subject I generally have answers and suggestions to address the subjects that I write about. In this case I do not have many answers because even the professionals don’t have any! I just wanted to bring this very important issue to the forefront to get you to think about preparing for a power outage during this extremely dangerous weather. If you can’t shelter in place or otherwise ride it out safely, make plans to get together with family and friends outside of the affected area. And please, watch over your neighbors, especially the elderly!
MINIMUM ITEMS TO HAVE ON HAND:
Food and snacks
Water
Flashlights
Battery operated radio
Cell phone (might not work during power outage at cell towers)
Cash (Credit cards won’t work during power outage)
Blankets and sleeping bags
Extra winter clothing
Gloves
Firewood
Full tank of gas in your vehicles (gas stations can’t pump during power outage)
Most of the above items in your vehicles if you have to leave!
Thank you,
Paul G. Buescher
Northfield Center Twp. – Trustee
