While you can't always know when a power outage will hit, you can take a few precautions to be prepared when the lights go out.

Keep non-perishable food, water, flashlights, first aid supplies and more in an emergency outage kit. Refresh it once a year. Plug valuable electronics and appliances into surge protectors to keep them safe from a sudden increase in electric current. Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have battery backups so they will continue to work in the event of an outage.

Before an outage hits, learn how to manually open your garage door and any other door that operates with electricity. Sign up for text and email outage alerts so you receive notifications with the latest information.

Strong storms and other natural disasters can hit when you least expect it. Now is the time to prepare so you can stay safe during an outage.