Canadians should build a home emergency kit that covers at least three days without power, with water, non-perishable food, backup lighting and a plan for staying warm safely, according to the Canadian Red Cross. Fall storms, freezing rain and high wind regularly knock out power across the country through the winter months, sometimes for days at a time, and putting a kit together now, while stores are open and roads are clear, is far easier than doing it during a storm. Hydro One tells customers to plan for up to 72 hours without electricity, and both the Government of Canada’s emergency preparedness guidance and the Red Cross say the same basic supplies apply whether the cause is an ice storm, high winds or a grid failure. The steps below draw on guidance from Canada.ca, the Canadian Red Cross and Hydro One, and cover what to buy, how to keep warm without creating a fire or carbon monoxide risk, and what to do before, during and after the power comes back on.
- Stock water: two litres per person, per day, for three days. Hydro One’s emergency kit checklist calls for this amount, enough for drinking and basic hygiene if tap pressure fails along with the power.
- Add three days of food that needs no cooking or refrigeration, plus a manual can opener. The Red Cross recommends canned goods, dried food and other non-perishables that will keep without power, along with any baby items, pet food or medical nutrition needs specific to the household.
- Set aside medications, prescriptions and a basic first aid kit. Keep a paper list of emergency contact numbers too, since a dead phone battery can make even a saved number hard to reach.
- Buy flashlights, not candles, for every household member, plus spare batteries. Both Canada.ca and the Red Cross single this out: flashlights lower the risk of a house fire compared to open flames, which is a real hazard during outages.
- Add a battery-powered or wind-up radio and a portable phone charger. Local radio and, where available, a utility’s outage-tracking app are usually the fastest way to learn how long an outage is expected to last.
- Set aside cash. Debit and credit machines need power or a working phone line to process payments, so a small amount of cash covers essentials if nearby stores are also without power.
- Keep blankets, warm clothing and sleeping bags on hand. Canada.ca notes that a natural gas fireplace can safely provide warmth until power is restored, but a gas stove should only be used for cooking, never as a heat source.
- Never run a generator, propane heater, camp stove, or charcoal or gas barbecue indoors, in a garage or on a covered porch. The Red Cross warns that all of these produce carbon monoxide, and running them in an enclosed space, even briefly, can be fatal. A working carbon monoxide alarm with battery backup is essential in any home with gas appliances or an attached garage.
- If using a portable generator outdoors, keep it at least six metres (20 feet) from the house, with exhaust pointed away from windows and doors, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly. Never plug a generator directly into a wall outlet. A generator can only be connected to a home’s electrical system through a transfer panel and switch installed by a licensed electrician, so this is not a DIY project: hire a qualified electrician rather than attempting the connection yourself.
- Before a storm is forecast, fill the vehicle’s gas tank to at least half full. Gas station pumps also need electricity to operate, so tanks can’t always be topped up once an outage starts.
- Learn in advance where the main water shutoff valve is and how to drain the plumbing system. Canada.ca lists this among its cold-weather outage steps, so it can be done quickly if a winter outage is expected to run long enough for pipes to freeze.
- Once the power returns, wait 10 to 15 minutes before plugging in and turning on other tools and appliances, staggering the load rather than switching everything back on at once. Check the refrigerator and freezer before eating anything inside: the Red Cross says a closed fridge keeps food cold for about four hours, and a closed freezer keeps food frozen for roughly 24 to 36 hours, but anything that has started to thaw should be thrown out rather than refrozen.
A power outage kit does not need to be expensive or complicated, and most of it can be assembled from things many households already own. The main work is gathering it into one place, checking the batteries and expiry dates every year, and making sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to reach the water shutoff before the first ice storm of the season, not during it.
Sources: Government of Canada, “Power outages: How to prepare”; Canadian Red Cross, “Before, during and after a power outage”; Hydro One, “Emergency Preparedness.”
