High wind, heavy rain expected Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

It being 2020, of course…

Milton and surrounding areas will be impacted by a significant storm this week, arriving Christmas Eve (Thursday night) and continuing into (Christmas) Friday morning.

Potentially damaging winds are forecast in some areas, along with heavy rain. These high winds may fell trees and power lines and cause power outages – damage that may take several days to repair.

View Eversource’s “Before the Storm” preparedness advice.

5 essentials to have on hand during a power outage:

Flashlights are ideal but how many times have you gone to use yours, only to realize the battery is either dead (… and where the $&*@#! are the batteries) or it’s a congealed mess of toxic chemicals?

Candles are also nice, but can be dangerous, hot, or just too smelly to be burning in every room.

Here are five slightly unexpected essentials that can make a power outage easier, and maybe even a little fun:

1. Glow sticks:

These stay glowing for at least 12 hours and are especially perfect for the kids, who get a huge kick out of hanging them in their bedrooms and using them for night time house traveling. You can also hang them up in bathrooms and stairwells:

2. Battery operated tea light candles:

I can’t say enough good things about these. We put them throughout the house during an outage. They have a nice soft light and enable us to play games, hang out, and to see pretty well – without the nuisance of candles, which can be hot, dangerous, and overpowering if they’re all scented. Plus, you generally can trust the kids around these. They also last a really long time!

3. Battery packs:

I’m a fan of this Portable Charger Power Bank 30000mAh Bextoo External Battery Pack with LCD Digital Display – it’s cheaper than other chargers of this size by about $15 and packs a punch! Plus the LED display is just… cool.

There are lots of other battery pack options out there for you if you’d like something in a different size:

4. An LED-powered cap:

This thing is amazing (I have this exact one but just found this awesome pink camo one, which I couldn’t resist ordering.)

You don’t have to hold a flashlight or your phone – the headlamp style cap is on your head.

BONUS: it is also amazing for walking around at night or if you’re working in a tight spot on fixing something and don’t have a helper to hold the light for you.

(I have reviewed my favorite cap separately, which you can check out by clicking here.)

5. The big guns: the Halo Bolt 58830 will charge everything & will even start your car

(Okay maybe this isn’t cheap-cheap but it’s way less expensive than a generator!

This thing is awesome. We keep it plugged in all the time and it comes in incredibly handy and perfect for travel because of it’s long-lasting battery. You can use it to power up a laptop, a phone, a fan – and you can literally use it to jump start your car! Yeah it’s in the $100 range, but it’s been a lifesaver for my family many a time. They offer a few different color and feature combos and are 100% worth the money:

*The author may receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post, which she will probably spend on limes, mint, and rum.