Surviving a blackout in Johor Bahru

April 26th, 2009 florence.tan

It is common to encounter a blackout in Johor Bahru. Every year, an average household can expect 3-4 power outages and as many water supply cuts. Unfortunately, it is not something that anyone can get used to, since there is no prior warning at all..

Power outages in Johor Bahru typically occur from the 7pm – 12midnight time slot. You typically hear a “tick” sound and then, everything goes dark. The air-con stops and you are stuck at home with the unbearable heat. You lament that you will not be able to catch your favourite TV episode. You regret not taking your shower earlier. Finally, you worry that your kids will wake up and start crying. Without the air-con, you need to open the windows to ventilate. However, doing that will invite those cursed mosquitoes.. If you are a student, good luck if you are having your exams tomorrow and you have not started reading up on your exam chapters yet.

It is prudent to be prepared for blackout/ power outages in Johor Bahru. Here are some of the things you can do to lessen the impact and increase your comfort.

Things to have
1. Cylum sticks – Forget about candles! Cylum sticks are a must have as they easily last 8 hours. 1-2 cylum sticks are enough to brighten your living room so that you do not knock onto any furnitures. Best of all, they do not add on to the heat in the house. Just “break” the stick and let there be light.

2. Power generator – A diesel powered generator will come in handle. A 3000w generator cost about RM$1500 and is sufficient to power on your fan (let there be wind!!) and possibly, your TV, if you are still in the mood to watch your favourite shows.

3. 1.5 litre iced water in fridge – It is good to have at least one such bottle on standby in the fridge. Each gulp of ice water down your throat simply brings cool relief during the sweaty blackout period and is guaranteed to bring down your blood pressure.. at least until you experience the next mosquito bite.

4. Battery Powered Radio – Turn it on, and admire the sky above you. Ever realised how wonderful the sky looks without the usual light pollution? Try to identify the common constellations like Orion, Scorpio and Gemini, while your favourite hits are being played on the radio. If you are lucky, you might be able to catch a shooting star too.

Procedures
1. If you can, drive off to a hotel lobby or to a friend’s house which is not affected by the power outage. You never know how long the blackout will last (typically 1-2 hours, sometimes stretching to 4 hours). It might be good to go to a more comfortable place than waiting for the electricity to return.

2. If you do not want to leave your house, your might want to use your car light to brighten the house.

3. Another option is to drive the car out (to anywhere).. at least, there is air-con in the car and no mosquitoes.

4. Besides lighting, keep electrical appliances like your iron, boiler and microwave oven off. This prevents potential fire hazard when the power is resumed.

5. Finally, keep your doors secured, whether you intend to remain at home or not. You do not want burglars taking advantage of the situation to make away with your valuables. Even the iced water will not be able to keep your blood pressure down for this one. 

P.S: This post is triggered by the blackout that occurred in Johor Bahru today (25th Apr 2009). There were 2 separate power outages at Taman Melodies and Taman Pelangi.

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