10/11/2019
How to Survive a PGE Power Outage in Oregon House, CA
As we enter the third day of our power outage, many of us are growing weary. No water, many who have total electric households, and do not own a generator.
As I sit here at our community center( Alcouffe Center) charging the several devises, I would like to share the experiences that I have had.
For the last three days, I have met and visited with my neighbors here at the Alcouffe Center. I have, also met many new community members. People are talking to each other and sharing their experiences of how they are surviving the power outage.
Below, I will try to reenact their experience.
A gentleman next to me overheard my frustration with the failure of my vehicle. His remark is that we are learning about people’s businesses, about their personal lives and more.
A lady from Dobbins remarked that she was tired of not being able to cook. I asked her if she had an electric or gas stove. She said she had a gas range. I told her to have her barbecue striker ready, turn her propane stovetop valve on low and strike the burner and the gas will come on. She did not know that. Today, she told me she was so grateful for that information and was able to cook last night on the stove top.
The community center is supplying bottled water. Last night, I took several bottles home. I filled a small glass with water, and brushed my teeth like you do in the dentist office. I dipped the toothbrush in the glass, toothbrush loaded with toothpaste, and begun to brush my teeth. Then, slosh the water and spit it into the sink.
This morning, I took a bottle of water, warmed it up on my gas range and washed the essentials with soap and water. When we were kids, it was called a “sponge bath”.
Yesterday, my friend Kathy and I talked about surviving without power. To keep your household refrigerator cool, buy a large block of ice prior to the outage. Place it in your freezer. When the power goes out, the block of ice will keep your freezer cool as well as your refrigerator. When the ice begins to melt, place it in your vegetable crisper and use the melted water to flush the toilet.
On that note, in these “troubled times” flushing the toilet is only a luxury. Use a paper bag to dispose the toilet paper. When the bag is full, use it to light your wood stove. Actually, I do this all the time to not get my septic tank compromised with toilet paper.
Since we are on 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness, need for light is not so necessary. Candles or an oil lantern gives enough light to read and do most essential tasks.
I chatted with Mike Leahy, Supervisor for Marysville this morning. I told him that I was hopeful that the power would come on soon since I have 5 freezers full of frozen meat for my farm store. He was funny with a GIF of some overweight dude flipping hamburgers on a barbecue grill and my comment was-“Let’s have a barbecue at the YS Fairground and invite the homeless and have YWA pay for it.” Hey, it works for North Yuba Water District.
Seriously, we are resilient group here in Oregon House. In years to come, we will tells our grandkids how we survived the PGE Power Outage of 2019.
