This past week brought some crazy weather-related issues for me and my good friend in Wisconsin. Living in Connecticut, you don’t expect tornadoes. That’s supposed to be something that happens in the mid-West right?

Well, sure enough that’s what happened in several areas around me last week. Consequently, we lost power for two days! Now in the past, I would have been calling a hotel within the first hour. But, I’m trying to learn to be more adaptable so I figured I could “tough it out.” I assumed it would only be a few hours without power. Then I realized that, because we have a well which runs on an electric pump, we had no water either. So now my resolve for the quasi camping thing in my own home was starting to wear on me. But still, I figured I’d set a good example for my kids and make it a fun adventure. (I mean after all, I did still have my iPhone!)

While the kids thought it was fun and bought into the “camping adventure,” mom got tired of it real quickly. But I did learn some important tips about how to deal with a situation like this.

• Store water! Not only for drinking and brushing teeth but also for flushing the toilets.
• Get one or two battery operated lanterns. Flashlights are Okay but it’s easier to do things when you don’t have to hold a flashlight in one hand.
• Make sure you have one land line. One non-cordless phone that doesn’t run through your cable operator is essential.
• When in doubt throw it out! Don’t take a chance with meats that have started thawing or that have stayed in your refrigerator for more than a day.
• Keep wet wipes and hand sanitizer gel on hand.
• Stock up on some paper plates, cups and plastic utensils. Depending on how long you’re without power you could go through an entire set of dishes.

The next day I spoke with my good friend in Wisconsin and learned that her house was struck by lightning! The lightning actually came through their TV set! When I told several people about this they all had the same comment – “We heard this could happen but we never knew some who actually experienced it.” Well, consider yourself introduced to someone who it’s happened to! She said they were sitting in their living room and she saw one bolt of lightning. She was about to turn off the TV but before she could even get to it, there was a sound like a sonic boom and it literally exploded. Thank goodness no one was harmed and the house did not catch on fire but the firefighters needed to check all her walls to be sure lightning hadn’t travelled inside and she was not allowed to use her electricity for a day afterwards.

People tend to disregard the warnings about the threats of lightning entering their home. A few reminders:
o Turn off and unplug all appliances including TVs, air conditioners, toasters, etc.
o Don’t use corded phones, only cellular or cordless
o Don’t use water for washing dishes or taking a shower

Lesson learned? Expect the unexpected!

*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated.