Southeast Texas can be a paradise for Beaumont seniors- mild winters, lush plant life, The Big Thicket, Sabine Lake, Sam Rayburn, Crystal Beach, all national treasures.

Southeast Texas weather is very fickle however- and savvy Southeast Texas seniors are prepared for outages, whether they be caused by hurricanes or wild winter storms.

Entergy Recommends that Golden Triangle Seniors Make & Keep  a Safety Kit.

Gather these supplies and put them somewhere that’s easy to find in the dark:

• Flashlights (consider at least one hand cranked flashlight)
• Battery-powered radio (consider at least one hand cranked radio)
• Extra batteries for flashlights and radio/s
• A 3-day supply of nonperishable food and water for everyone in your household
• Manual can opener
• Blankets and warm sweaters
• First-aid supplies
• Extra cash (in case local ATMs are down)
• Corded phone (cordless phones do not work during outages)
• Outage Safety Checklist. Download: http://www.entergy-texas.com/global/safety/outage_checklist.pdf

Plan ahead with your family.
Make sure your Southeast Texas family knows where the safety kit is stored. Review with children what to do if an outage happens while they are with a sitter or home alone.

Make arrangements for medical equipment.
If you or a Golden Triangle senior in your care has a condition that requires continuous or special medication or life support systems, or if your medications require constant refrigeration, contact your doctor about how to prepare for power outages.

Add some thing for your comfort. 

A flashlight can give you a great sense of comfort. Add some “fun” food and snacks, books or magazines, and a deck of cards to keep your mind off the outage.

Your safety kit will help the outage pass quickly.

Flashlights and emergency supplies will make it easier to cope in a power outage. Everyone is more comfortable with a light through the darkness and we’re all appreciative of a connection to the world around us.