Initial power outage info (left) and the outage map for our area (right)

Power went out at 5:45 pm…

… just as we sat down to dinner and an episode of BattleBots. The thunderstorm hit hard but the impact was isolated: only ~20 households near us were affected, and there weren’t too many in the region either. Initial restoration estimate: 9:30 pm.

For the prequel on how we handled a bigger, badder power outage two months prior to this one, see It Was a Dark and Stormy Afternoon.

I took it as a live-fire test of our emergency setup. Rolled out our new Jackery at 100% charge. (The Jackery is a large-capacity, battery-operated, portable power station). Plugged in our Starlink router (for internet), a small lamp, and a fan to keep us cool. Note to self: Start the outage timer immediately next time — not an hour in. Then, I plugged in the Tempest — a personal weather station — to keep an eye on the storm.

We deferred plugging in the fridge to conserve power. Kept the doors shut for hours while unplugged.

Positives

  • Power usage stayed around 100W for router + lamp + fan + weather station
  • Jackery usage: just 6% in the first hour
  • Weather cooled off — dropped from 86° to 71° outside. Huge help.
  • Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS’s) for Caroline’s office, the router, and the entertainment center worked well.
  • Got to play Bananagrams, the NYT Spelling Bee, and even watch an episode of Agatha Raisin. Felt almost cozy at times.

Deltas

  • One of our long extension cords was bad; two others were two-prong only. Drat!!
  • My office UPS didn’t hold power long enough for me to shut down my desktop computer. Battery or unit needs replacing.
  • No printed or phone copy of our device power draws. Missed that for budgeting energy usage.

Adjustments On the Fly

  • 9:15 pm: unplugged the media gear and router, plugged in the fridge. Then moved the Jackery to the bedroom and reconnected the fan. Wheels on the unit are great for portability.
  • 4:00 am: unplugged the fridge and went back to bed.
  • 5:45 am: woke for breakfast. Used microwave to cook oats. Plugged the fridge back in afterwards.
  • 1:30 pm: the Jackery was at 1% remaining after 20 hours. We shut it down and took it to a friend’s house for charging. At around 135 pounds, it was a beast for me to hoist into our vehicle.

Recovery & Wrap-up

Power finally restored at 5:10 pm — nearly a 24-hour outage. Outage much longer than originally anticipated, but right at the edge of what we planned for when buying the Jackery.

Next Steps

  • Replace faulty extension cords and two-prong cords with three-prong variety
  • Create printable + phone-friendly power draw sheet
  • Investigate office UPS replacement
  • Possibly adjust fridge strategy based on outage timing and outside temp
  • Think about options for lifting and transporting Jackery the next time we need to charge it off-site

Lab Notes Verdict

Caroline, watching the glow of a single lamp, said: “We’re doing it! It feels a lot more normal.” And she was right. We learned a lot — and stayed comfortable, running on solar-charged, Jackery-supplied battery power.

With a few tweaks, I think we can handle another 24-hour outage more smoothly. This was a good test for us before the next big storm rolls in.

If you’ve been meaning to get ready for the summer thunderstorm season, now’s the time to test your setup. And check your extension cords!!