The story begins......
When our power went out during June's derecho several weeks ago, temperatures in Maryland topped 100 degrees. With three young children, each of the five days that we were without power was an extreme challenge. How did we stay cool during the power outage?
Use water. Sprinklers and pools became our best friends during the summer power outage. We lathered our daughters up in sunscreen and let them loose in our backyard with every water toy we had in our arsenal. We were also lucky enough to use a family member's pool during Day One of the outage (pictured). The lack of a pool filter and vacuum meant that we couldn't do the same after that first day.
Hose 'em. My husband and I revisited our college spring break days, allowing the kids to wear old T-shirts out in the yard while we sprayed them with the hose. We created a water arch, a rainbow, and even a limbo-stick of water that the kids could compete in. They loved getting wet in their clothes instead of bathing suits. Similarly, they couldn't wait for the opportunity to do this to Mom and Dad, too! This G-rated wet T-shirt contest was a blast for the kids (who, thankfully, missed the more adult references).
Wage war. There's no time like summertime for a power outage. My neighbors introduced the girls to the art of water balloon war on the trampoline during the last power outage. Everyone took a side, filled a tub with water balloons, and waited to see who'd be the last man (or mom) standing.
Stay low. Don't make the mistake of sleeping upstairs when you're without an air conditioner. While you might be fine for a night (or possibly two), heat rises and you'll be too hot to sleep after that. My daughters simply couldn't get comfortable, and as a result, we had to move down to the first floor or the basement where the temps were considerably cooler. A cool, comfortable night's sleep will help rejuvenate you for the next hot day.
Venture out. A community-cooling center (often situated in public high schools during heat waves and power outages), a movie theater, dinner out, and a walk around the mall are all options for staying cool when you're without power and it's too hot to be outside. Don't despair if it's an hour to the nearest air-conditioned movie theater -- my daughters watched a video in the car, we enjoyed the breeze as we drove along, and three-quarters of a hot day were pleasantly wasted!
Don't open. When our power went out in the middle of the night, my first inclination in the morning was to open the doors and windows. Don't do it! You'll discover that 80 degrees in the house is still substantially cooler than 100 degrees outside. Unless there's a breeze or the temp cools off considerably at night, keep your house closed up to save your remaining cool air.
Use batteries. Battery-operated fans are an absolute must when you need to cool off during a power outage. Keep several in your home in case of an emergency. In addition, battery-powered radios, portable TVs, and the like can all help power-outage time (slower than regular time) pass by quickly, no matter the season.
Drink up. While my favorite drink on a warm summer evening is a beer on the back deck, I learned to skip it while the power was out. Beer (and other alcoholic or caffeinated beverages) helped dehydrate me. With the temperature topping 100 degrees, everyone needed to stay hydrated, not the opposite. So I opted for ice water instead, and insisted the kids drink plenty of water, too.
Ice it. Ice isn't just for your freezer, especially if it's melting and the power's gone out. During our five-day power outage, we made a daily trip to a nearby grocery store that still had power and ice. We used some to keep the milk -- and what items we had left in our freezer -- cold, and some we let the kids have fun with. We put some in the baby pool to keep it cool, we made neck wraps with zip-close bags and towels, and we even put some in an empty cooler for our feet. Ice tossed in for bath time delighted my daughters, too. It melted quickly, but we used it while it lasted! Just make sure not to let little ones come in contact with
anything too cold for too long.
By Kelly Herdrich
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