Fall Windstorm Power Outage Prep for Cedarburg Homes

October in Ozaukee County brings the first real windstorms of the season. Leaves are still on many trees, the ground is soft from fall rain, and a strong gust can bring a limb down across a line. If you live in Cedarburg or anywhere in Ozaukee County, now is a good time to get your home ready for an outage, before the cold settles in and losing power becomes more than an inconvenience.

Before the storm: a quick home inventory

Ready.gov, the federal preparedness site, suggests starting with a simple list of everything in your home that depends on electricity. Walk through the house and write it down:

• Furnace blower and controls (a gas furnace still needs power to run)
• Sump pump
• Well pump, if you're not on city water
• Refrigerator and freezer
• Medical devices, such as CPAP machines or oxygen concentrators
• Garage door opener
• Phones, internet modem, and router

Once you know what matters most, you can plan for it. Keep flashlights for each person in the house, charge your power banks, and find out whether your home phone or internet will work when the power is off. If someone in your home relies on a powered medical device or refrigerated medicine, talk with their doctor about an outage plan now, not during the storm.

Check your smoke and CO alarms

Outages are when people reach for generators, camp stoves, and space heaters, so carbon monoxide risk goes up. Ready.gov recommends carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup on every level of the home. Press the test button on each one and swap any tired batteries. If your alarms are hardwired, read our post on hardwired smoke and CO alarms before heating season.

During the outage: protect your electronics

When power comes back, it can return with brief surges or spikes. Ready.gov's advice is to turn off or unplug appliances, equipment, and electronics while the power is out. A good routine:

1. Unplug TVs, computers, game consoles, and chargers.
2. Turn off major appliances you won't need right away.
3. Leave one lamp switched on so you know when power is back.
4. Once power returns, wait a few minutes, then plug things back in a few at a time instead of all at once.

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as you can. Ready.gov notes a closed refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours, and a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours.

Generator safety, the short version

A portable generator can be a big help, but it's also where most outage injuries come from. Ready.gov's main rules:

• Run generators and store fuel outdoors only, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and attached garages.
• Keep the generator dry. Touching a wet generator or anything plugged into one can shock you.
• Use heavy-duty extension cords to connect appliances.
• Let it cool before refueling.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

One more rule we feel strongly about: never plug a generator into a wall outlet or dryer receptacle to “backfeed” the house. It can energize the lines outside your home and endanger anyone working on them, and it can damage your wiring and the generator. If you want to power furnace, sump pump, and fridge circuits directly, the right way is a properly installed transfer switch or interlock, set up by an electrician. Our generator services page covers both portable hookups and standby units, and our standby generator winter prep post explains what to check if you already have one.

Never use a gas stove or oven to heat the house during an outage. It raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire.

After the power comes back: what to watch for

Most homes come back on without a problem. But storms can damage the service drop, the meter, or connections inside the panel, and sometimes the trouble shows up only after the lights return. Call an electrician if you notice:

• Lights that are dim, extra bright, or flicker when big appliances start
• Some rooms working while others stay dead
• A burning smell, buzzing, or heat at the panel or an outlet
• Breakers that trip again right after you reset them (see why a circuit breaker keeps tripping)
• Your sump pump or furnace not starting even though the rest of the house has power

If a tree limb pulled on the line where it attaches to your house, or the mast looks bent, stay clear of it. Report downed lines to your utility right away and keep everyone away from them.

For the problems inside the house, our electrical troubleshooting service is built for exactly this kind of “something isn't right since the storm” call. If an older panel struggled through the outage, it may be worth talking about a panel upgrade.

Get ready now, not mid-storm

A half hour this weekend covers most of it: make your list, test your alarms, charge your batteries, and decide how you'll handle the sump pump and furnace if the power goes out. If you have questions about generator hookups or anything you noticed after the last storm, contact us or request a callback.