If you’ve lived in Rexburg for over a year there’s one thing you know all too well. You’re likely going to encounter a city-wide power outage and it’s going to come at the most inconvenient time.
Whether it’s the week of finals or in the dead of winter, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. But what do you do during these city-wide power outages?
Here’s your guide to surviving even the longest spurts of no power.
Find alternative light sources
The first thing to do when the power goes out is to make sure you find other sources of light around you that you can use for the time being. Find that stash of candles you’ve been hiding away, grab all the flashlights and headlamps from the camping supplies, and begin by trying to light up the room!
Call back to simpler times
If it’s summertime and the weather is nice, take this opportunity to unplug from the world and enjoy the world around you. We’ve become so consumed by electricity and technology that it becomes easy to forget what it was actually like before our worlds revolved around the electricity. Use this as an excuse to go outside, enjoy the fresh air, and spend time in nature.
Read a book
Remember when you set that New Year’s Resolution to read more books this year? How’s that going?
Maybe you’re completely killing that goal, or maybe you’re falling a little behind. Either way, there’s no better time to dust off that book that you’ve been dying to read and dive right in than when the power is out.
Play a card game
If you’re still looking for things to do while you’re waiting for the power to comes back on then, put your cleverness to the test and play a game! Test out your poker skills with a game of blackjack. Lay out a hand of solitaire. If you’re with a group, you can also play a board game!
Use your phone’s data
Being out of power means you’ll no longer be connected to the wifi. But if you’re that eager to check those twitter updates on your phone, you can still use your data!
Make sure you have warm blankets
If you’re faced with a power outage during winter, make sure that you have blankets that will keep you warm in the meantime. There’s no telling how long the power will be out, and it could start to get incredibly cold. This happened as recently as this past winter!
In addition to making sure you have everything you need, check up on your neighbors to make sure they’re set as well.
Keep a food storage
This can seem difficult if you have limited space, but everyone can have even a small food storage. Make sure you have non-perishable foods in store. And make sure it’s food you actually like! When the power goes out and you need something to eat, you’ll want to have something on hand.
Head to the BYU-Idaho Center
BYU-Idaho has a power plant on campus which allows the university to keep generating power, even after the main source of electricity has been cut off.
When there’s a power outage during extreme weather seasons, the BYU-Idaho Center is a great place to go. Campus will usually leave the I-Center open during these situations and it is a place where you can stay warm or cool.