Most of us keep one flashlight in our home for the purposes of seeing things at night, for power outages and other emergencies. Did you know that you need more than just one to assure the safety of your home? Do you know where all of your flashlights are and do you keep fresh batteries in the home in a place you can readily find?

If you’re like the rest of us the answer to that is probably no. Most of us don’t concern ourselves with having light available until we don’t. We tend to rely on our technology and believe it to be infallible, and in most cases we’re right.

So long as we pay the bill, the lights stay on and our homes are illuminated. No need for those pesky flashlights.

As recently as December of 2009, the lights went out in London for three days. In December and January of 2008 a power outage took place in Nebraska that lasted more than 3 weeks in some places, with areas as close as one mile to the large cities having no lights or power for more than five days.

The power goes out. The lights go off and they stay off. Being ready for it before it happens prevents a fall or something much worse. Several homes were set aflame in one power outage when residents who had no flashlights or lanterns and could not buy them due to a serious shortage in the area used candles. Candles are not a safe means to light your path for an extended period of time.

Have faith in your power company. Believe the electric lights will stay on indefinitely but prepare for a time when they don’t. Keep at least two flashlights on hand in your home. Know where they are without having to search for them. Keep a set of spare batteries for each one.

One added idea is a lantern that cranks by hand or takes solar energy. These are priceless tools to have around when you’re in the dark. Surviving a power outage sometimes just means using some common sense and being prepared for one.