Ohh no! a blackout! what should i do?

Question

Jakarta's going to shut down electricity for at least 7 hours every day for 2 weeks straight... What should i do here? i don't have a generator and the whole city's going black. What should i prepare and do? There will be no electricity or watre at all... :(

Answer 1

It depends on what kind of things you need electricity for.

You should stock up on water -- both drinking, and water for washing up.

Do the laundry, too!

Plan your day so that you can get the most out of the hours with electricity.  Maybe sleep during the blackout period, if you can?

Even when there is electricity, try not to use too much! If everyone suddenly starts using a bunch, it will overload the system, and you'll have more blackouts.

A flashlight that has it's own wind-up generator would be a good idea (they sell these for earthquakes and disasters).

Oh, and try to keep your fridge/freezer empty, and make your food in a traditional way (so you don't need the fridge).

Good luck. It sounds very scary, but if you don't panic, you should be OK.

EDIT: I just wanted to add a tip for making your refrigerator into an ice box. You probably won't want to keep any frozen food in your freezer, because the thaw/freeze cycles will make it icky. But, if your electricity is on for at least 8 hours a day, you can freeze several pet bottles of water (I'd use the 1.5 liter bottles or bigger, if you can get them, and leave at least 3 cm. of headspace so the water can expand when it turns to ice). Put them into your fridge when the power goes off, and try not to open the fridge in the meantime. When the power comes back on, put them back in the freezer to re-freeze them.

This has the added advantage of being a way to store water -- in an emergency, you'll have the ice water, and you can boil it if you need it pure.

Answer 2

Lock and load...

Answer 3

Buy torches, matches or cigarette lighters, candles and water get a psp if your bored.Or just go on holiday!

Answer 4

Yeah get a generator if you want and also get lots of water to drink

Answer 5

it is normal to have a blackout

just be prepared flashlight or candles it can help to have light

be sure that you're not panic coz in few hours or minutes it will back again

Answer 6

Clean out the refrigerator of all foods that require cold to keep fresh and safe to eat

Put them into a ice chest the kind you take on a picnic If you can get dry ice it is colder and last longer and does not drip water

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Get a bathtub of water cause the water supply may go down also

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Forget about the TV or Computer unless you have a lap top then for only a couple of hours will you be able to use the computer

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If it is going to be in the dead of night make sure you have a manual wind up alarm clock if you have to get up to go to work at any exact time

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Answer 7

Don't stay alone, be with some friends/family, all of you stay inside and keep company, lock all doors and windows, have plenty of water to drink (also fill the bathtub if u have one), have some food that doesn't need refrigeration, a 1st aid kit, 1 fire extinguisher at hand (very important), some candles and lighter/matches in case the flashlight batteries run out. Also, and in case of looters, some weapons for protection or deterrence (gun, axe, big knife whatever). Remember mobile phones and land lines might NOT work too, you're on your own, have some good boots/clothes if you need to go out at night (for example if you have to walk to carry someone to the hospital).

Answer 8

just prepare a flashlight and stock enough water before another blackout comes.

Answer 9

That sounds like when I lived in Ecuador.

Good Luck

Answer 10

Since there is nothing that you can do about the blackout, try to make it into an adventure.   How far can you travel from your home or work with no electric on?   How close are you to your friends so you have people with you to pass the time?  Is there anything you could do to make money during the blackouts?   If you buy a "wind-up" flashlight, could you go everywhere and offer to help people who are without light?  Could you move around with a "wind-up powered"  (you wind it with your hands to tighten a spring inside that supplies the power-no batteries) radio and give news to people?

Jakarta is so beautiful.  Are you visiting or do you live there?  Where else have you lived?