Press Release: Prepare to Use Grill During Power Outages From Hurricanes and Winter Storms

LIGHTNING RELEASES WINSTON-SALEM, NC (Sept. 30, 2014) – When hurricane Irene hit coastal Virginia in August 2011 and the power was out for 24 hours, Joanne Brady from Suffolk, Va., used her propane grill to cook steaks from the freezer and baked potatoes for her family and her neighbors. During a snowstorm last winter when she lost power again, she grilled thawed chicken, which saved her from throwing it out. Brady said, “We cleared the deck of the snow, cleaned off the grill and fired it up. Cooking on the grill is nothing new for us. We cook rain or shine, snow or blow.”

Today, on National Prepareathon Day, and during September, National Preparedness Month, Blue Rhino, the company known for its industry leading propane brand (www.BlueRhino.com), its Mr. Bar-B-Q® line of innovative, premier barbecue accessories and outdoor lifestyle tools (www.MrBarBQ.com), and other outdoor living products such as grills and fire pits, urges Americans to be prepared to boil water and make meals on their grills during power outages resulting from such weather hazards as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and winter storms.

Betsy Babcock, owner of Handsome Brook Farm, a bed-and-breakfast in Franklin, NY, often loses power during the winter. “We make pancakes and bacon on our outdoor gas grill while waiting for the power to come back on,” she says. Another year, during a massive flood, Babcock grilled meat from her freezer that was quickly thawing and invited people for a candlelight dinner. She adds, “It was fun and lifted our spirits.” 

With the National Hurricane Center currently issuing advisories on Rachel, the 17th tropical storm in the Eastern Pacific during the 2014 season which will end Nov. 30, it’s important to be ready for power outages that come with these severe tropical storms. Once the storm has passed, a gas or charcoal grill can be used to boil water and heat meals if these preparations have been made:

• Purchase a spare tank of propane or two 20-pound bags of charcoal, depending on the type of grill.Blue Rhino tank exchange locations are conveniently available at more than 45,000 retail locations nationwide. Store the spare tank in a protected but not enclosed place, especially not in the house.
• Before the storm, be sure to secure the grill and propane tank against high winds.
• Use a large plastic bin to store all the tools needed for cooking on a grill and serving food. This includes pots and skillets made especially for the grill, butane lighters or matches placed in a waterproof container, plastic utensils, paper plates and napkins, grill tools, foil, a manual can opener and trash bags. Make sure the bin is easily accessible in an emergency.
• Make copies of simple recipes that can be cooked on a grill, and store recipes in the plastic bin with the grilling tools.
• Have an LED light source such as Mr. Bar-B-Q’s Handle Mount Grill Light.
• Stock up on canned/preserved goods such as stews, soups, canned meats and vegetables that can be heated on the grill.
• Purchase a large pot for use in boiling water on the grill to make it safe for drinking and food preparation.

Grills should NEVER be used indoors or in a garage. Any appliance fueled by gas, oil, kerosene, propane, wood or charcoal can create dangerous—and deadly—carbon monoxide gas if used in enclosed areas.