National Preparedness Month is the perfect time of year to plan ahead. Knowing what to do when a disaster strikes is critical for keeping you and others safe at home and work. Start by assembling an emergency kit that takes into consideration your specific needs. Take this short quiz to test your knowledge on what should be in your kit and find out if you’re ready for the unexpected.

Stay Connected During Outages
Even if the power’s out, there are a few different ways for you to stay informed about the progress our crews are making to restore your power. 

Important Safety Reminders
Remember, all downed lines are dangerous — they carry an electric current that can cause serious or even fatal injuries. If you encounter a fallen wire, keep yourself and others far away. Call 911 and AEP Ohio immediately.

Also, make sure you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors around your home or business and that they have fresh batteries installed and are working properly. 

Visit Ready.gov for additional info about what to do before, during and after an emergency.

6 responses to “Test Your Knowledge: Emergency Preparedness

  1. If my power is out, I can’t follow you on facebook or twitter, because I don’t have any power. I don’t have a ‘smart phone’, so I can’t download your app! Everybody doesn’t have a smart phone!!!!!

    1. If you ever have questions about your electric service, you can always call us at (800) 672-2231. We’re happy to help!

  2. Also remember: List of emergency contacts and a meeting place. Credit cards and cash. Waterproof container needed or medication and copies of important documents. Sturdy shoes, blankets, change of warm clothes, whistle to signal for help, toothbrush, toilet tissue etc., dust masks, extra set of house keys and car keys.

  3. I purchased some nice solar light ornaments that I keep outdoors and they make good lights at night in case of power outage–especially handy to keep in bathroom and safer than using candles. Can place several around the home where needed. I also keep almond/coconut milk packaged in paper cartons that will keep for months in pantry unrefrigerated as long as unopened.

  4. This is all well and good, but how do we prepare for the emergency where we have no power to the house and the house is total electric — including heating. In the winter time all a person can hope for is good insulation and a goose down comforter to help keep warm. We just had this happen recently when because of an accident we were without power for over 7 hours. Any helps with this type of emergency?

    1. Hi Connie. For extended outages in extreme cold, local organizations will often open community warming shelters. We try to post their locations when we can on our outage map. In these instances it helps to contact your local Red Cross for more information; if you’re a Central Ohio resident, this website can also help: http://211centralohio.org/

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