Flashlights are the standard standby, but they are only good for as long as the batteries last. If the batteries aren't fresh, that won't be very long.
Emergency preparedness officials discourage the use of candles, due to fire safety concerns.
Several options exist beyond the obvious for homeowners who want to be ready in the event the power goes out.
Consider these:
- Backup lights that go on automatically when the power goes out. The Keep Safe Table Lamp Light, for example, is a fluorescent light that "senses" when the power fails and operates for 90 minutes;
- Light switches that illuminate during a blackout;
- The Solar Centurion, a halogen security light that needs no electricity because it runs on stored solar power;
- LED flashlights that do not require batteries; they get their power from your energy when you use a hand crank to wind them up.
Check your options now, and prepare, so you're ready to face the darkness of any outage emergency.
