Had our power go out just a couple days ago because of a severe rain/electrical storm. Happens in our little wide place in the road all the time. Not only do the lights go out because of storms, but all too often work crews will be digging and cut the lines. Another very common scenario are squirrels who fry themselves on our transformers and blow them out.
Darlin and I just shrugged our shoulders and since it was late and the show we were watching just finished, we just went to bed.
Got up a few hours later to do nite time biz, and all the lights were on! LOL! Turned ‘em out and toddled right back to bed!
We have more than one flashlight, and we found recently an LED lantern which we hang on the lamp we share in front room because of the frequent outages.
We got this one recently from Wally World and we love it for those sudden outages. We like that it folds so you can position it the best way. The little handy hook is cool too.
Glad you were able to keep your Dad functioning with a generator. Being mindful of special needs and technologies to support those needs is always a wise thing to do!
We keep all sorts of nifty little flashlights in various locations all over the house. Several of the larger kinds in certain cupboards.
We also have 4 oil lamps that are always full of oil, on dining tables, and front room end table. We keep some spare oil on hand. I bought smaller oil lamps as decoration for each of the bedrooms. Candles in candlestick holders as decoration in various places.
We have a couple of Coleman lanterns from our camping days - they put out a lot of light. We bought some of the new Coleman LED small lanterns that use batteries. I also have a couple of kerosene lanterns left over from Girl Scout camping days.
Have a number of candles in jars stored away. Always have one handy in the bathroom downstairs with matches, since there is no window and super dark if the electricity goes off.
We too just shrug and do whatever. Read or crosswords are my choice when the electricity fails. I’ve been eying some tiki torches for out doors. Our Solar lights along the patio and walkway have just about totally quit working. So I’ll be watching for sales this fall.
It was good to be able to take care of Dad and ourselves. The town was declared a disaster area. FEMA was here eventually.
The hospital was full and overflowing with people needing oxygen. Clinics all over town were working to get portable tanks delivered to their people.
We would see a little clip on the news, and Dad would just grin from ear to ear, and remark how comfy he was. I would laugh and grin right back.