Here are my suggestions of items you should do before the next power outage.  Normally people say all you need is a bunch of batteries which isn’t a bad start but that is not the only thing you can do. 

The following is my list of things you can do that may help you through the year:

1.  If you had an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) for your computer during the last power outage, did it work?  All of these units have some kind of battery inside of them.  Before the next time you need it, you should check to see if it is really working.  To do this, make sure your your computer is off and unplug it from the UPS.  Next plug some other appliance (small fan or table lamp) into the UPS, turn it on and unplug the UPS from the wall outlet.  Time how long the appliance runs.  If it last for 5 minutes or more, you are probably okay.  If it dies in a minute or two, you probably need to replace the battery or the entire UPS.  Some units allow you to change the battery if it goes bad and they usually will in one to three years.  The best place in Hawaii to get a new battery is Battery Bill’s (http://www.batterybill.com/) in Mapunapuna.  Bill has all kinds of batteries and will help figure out what you need.  If your UPS can’t be opened, then you need to buy a new one.

2. If you don’t have a UPS, you probably have a surge protector on some of your electronic equipment (e.g. computer, stereo).  Although these don’t have a battery in them, they also can go bad when they receive a big surge of electricity.  Most good surge protectors have status lights on them.  Check the lights to see if your surge protector is still functioning.  If the lights say there is a fault, then dump it and get a new one.  There are many types and they range in price from $10 to $150.  The more you pay usually gives you more protection.  Also, if possible, you should unplug the entire surge protector when the power is out and plug it back in after the power to your home has returned.  This will keep the surge protector from getting an initial large surge of electricity.

3. Since your TV set and stereo system do not work without AC power, you need a radio that has its own power.  I have one that has a radio, fan, and lights (spot and florescent).  You can get these from many places and they either come with a rechargeable battery or space for regular batteries.   Some of these have crank power or even solar power capabilities.  This kind of unit is great for tuning into a radio station to find out what is going on as well as lighting up the place.

4. In the olden days, everyone used candles to light up the home.  Now days, the suggestion is to use electric lanterns so you don’t have to worry about your house catching on fire when the wind blows.  However, there is yet another choice, electronic candles.  These give off about the same amount of light as a candle and because they usually use LEDs, they last a long time.  You do need batteries to power these candles so hopefully you have some AA batteries lying around.  The candles in the photo above are from Brookstone and they even flicker like real candles.

5. Was your cell phone fully charged when the power went out?  Murphy’s Law would say it was on the last leg.  A lifesaving gadget to have is a battery powered cell phone charger.  These are fairly cheap (around $20) and use a couple AA batteries to recharge your cell phone battery.  These are available at many stores from Longs to Radio Shack.  The hardest part about these is making sure you have the right connector to fit into your cell phone.

So before the next power outage (island wide or otherwise), make sure that you are ready to protect your home and family.  Unfortunately, it may be sooner than you think so don’t wait too long to act.