Have you found the books Clark gave to elementary school libraries? This year’s book is Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle

Our line crews work hard all year to keep the electric system strong and the lights on. But power outages in Clark County do happen. Fortunately, they usually don’t last more than a few hours, but it’s important to be ready for a longer stretch without power, just in case.

Conserve cell phone power when the lights are out

Phones are one of the most important items to keep charged during a power outage, because they can do a lot of different things. Smart phones can provide communication with calls and texts, but can also receive emergency alerts, connect to online learning, find help if needed and so much more. To conserve your cell phone’s battery: 

  • Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS
  • Reduce the brightness of the screen
  • Use “low power” or “battery saver” mode
  • Send text messages instead of calling
  • Turn off vibrate
  • Close non-essential applications 
  • Turn sound levels to low
  • Keep the phone off when it is not needed
How We Restore Power Illustration

Keep your electronic devices charged during a power outage

Power bank

Portable power bank: Portable power banks can be purchased at many local stores and online retailers. The higher the milli Ampere hour (mAh), the higher the capacity. Most iPhones have a mAh (battery capacity) of about 1500-3000, so a power bank with at least 5000-10000 mAh would work well for emergencies.  

Car charger

Car battery/inverter: Newer cars often have a USB charging port inside. Some of these ports do not require the engine to be running when charging devices, while other vehicles need a car adapter for the cigarette lighter. Depending on the age and quality of the car battery, it should be able to charge devices multiple times.

  • Be careful not to drain the car battery.
  • Do not turn the engine on and idle in the garage or other enclosed spaces – even if the garage door is open – to avoid carbon monoxide hazards.
  • Do not leave the vehicle unattended or devices in view.
Hand crank radio

Hand crank radio: Not only will a hand crank radio bring you information and alerts about an emergency, but some also provide a USB port to charge devices. Hand crank radios can also have multiple options for power (crank, battery, and solar) and come with a flashlight for added safety.

Flashlights and lanterns

Flashlights: Even flashlights are being manufactured with USB ports to aid in charging devices. It still helps to keep batteries handy since this method tends to gobble up the electrons quickly.

Portable battery charger

Battery-operated charger: Like flashlight chargers, battery-operated chargers require a supply of batteries. Consider using rechargeable batteries when you can!

Solar charger

Solar charger/generator: Many of the outages in Clark County happen due to weather like wind, heavy rain or ice. If the outage lasts into the daylight, a solar charger may be an option for small devices. Solar chargers and generators can take a while to charge devices and often are not large enough for items requiring a lot of power.

Stay informed about power outages in your area:

Storms and power outages impact areas of Clark County differently. For example, one school might experience a power outage while another is fully up and running. To see up-to-date electrical outages in the area and estimates of how many customers are affected, visit the Clark Public Utilities outage map.

During any emergency, it is best if an adult in your life knows your school district’s plans. They can even sign up for emails and text alerts, and most districts also publish updates to their social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Where to find Clark County school district updates:

Evergreen school district logo

Evergreen School District: Communicates through emails, phone calls, text messages, Facebook, and the FlashAlert system

Vancouver public schools logo

Vancouver School District: Communicates through emails, phone calls, text messages, the mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and the FlashAlert system

Camas school district logo

Camas School District: Communicates through emails, phone call, text messages, Facebook, and the FlashAlert system

Washougal school district logo

Washougal School District: Communicates through phone calls, Facebook, and the Flash Alert system

Ridgefield school district logo

Ridgefield School District: Communicates through its broadcast phone or text message system and the FlashAlert system

Battleground public schools logo

Battle Ground School District: Communicates through emails, phone calls, and the Flash Alert system.

Green mountain logo

Green Mountain School District: Communicates through the FlashAlert system

Hockinson logo

Hockinson School District: Communicates through the FlashAlert system

La center school district logo

WA School for the Blind: Communicates through multiple methods and the FlashAlert system

Washington school for the blind logo

WA School for the Blind: Communicates through multiple methods and the FlashAlert system

Washington school for the deaf logo

WA School for the Deaf: Communicates through multiple methods and the FlashAlert system

ESD logo

ESD112: Communicates through multiple methods and the FlashAlert system

The Columbian logo

The Columbian: Provides updates for the county through social media and their webpage

For more information

Visit the Clark PUD website and learn about emergency preparedness.

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