Always make sure that you have enough gas to get yourself home. Many gas stations cannot operate during a power outage -- they need power to operate the pumps. In 2003, motorists found themselves stranded because they didn’t have enough gas to get home or to wait in traffic. If you are home, fill as many containers as possible with water. You’ll need water to consume and wash with. Fill the bathtub(s) with water also for this purpose.
Always have a supply of bottled water in storage. A four-person household can go through a lot of water if there's nothing else to drink.
Always make sure you have a bag of ice in the freezer; bagged ice sells out quickly.
Purchase a few rechargeable flashlights or solar powered lights and keep them charged at all times. Nothing is worse that discovering dead batteries in a much needed flashlight.
Invest in a radio that operates by manual cranking. Three minutes of cranking will give you an hour of power.
The Summer Blackout
One of the most important aspects of a summer blackout is ensuring that your refrigerator and freezer contents remain cold or frozen. Your freezer’s contents will remain frozen up to 24 hours or longer as long you don't open it. At the onset of a blackout, place a penny on top of a filled ice cube tray. When the power is restored, if the penny sunk to the bottom of the ice cube tray - your freezer contents have thawed completely and may hazardous to consume.
Keep It Cold
To keep your refrigerator contents from spoiling, keep the door closed at all times. At the onset of the blackout, fill some large bowls with ice cubes and place one on each refrigerator shelf. This will help keep everything cold longer. If you need to get something, open the door only wide enough to retrieve what you need and shut it promptly.
To keep your house cool inside, close all curtains and blinds from windows that face the sun. If it's extremely hot, remain indoors and retreat to a cool place.