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Preparing for blackouts as storm season begins

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INDIANAPOLIS – A new report shows last year, about 3,500 power outages impacted more than 14 million people. Indiana made the list for the top-10 states with the most blackouts. Here's how you can be fully prepared.

Top tips:

  • Keep flashlights around the house with plenty of batteries.
  • Try not to use candles in a blackout. The risk of fire is too great.
  • Keep water, non-perishable food, a cooler, a battery-powered radio, a first-aid kit, sanitation items and other emergency kit items in a box so you can access them quickly and easily.
  • If you can swing it, get a generator for emergency use, but don’t use it indoors due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The same goes for grills, camp stoves and other gas-burning devices.
  • Throw away any food from the fridge that’s been exposed to temperatures at 40 degrees or warmer for more than 2 hours. Food in the fridge should stay cool for about 4 hours after losing power, especially if you limit how much you open the door to the fridge/freezer.

Watch our video in the player above for the full story.

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