11 ways to prep for extreme weather and power outages, part three of three

Remember those winds that soared across the Seeley-Swan and Potomac Valleys last January, just after temperatures dipped into the negative 20s? That winter storm created a demand for electricity that far exceeded the area utility’s supply, snowing in thousands for hours sans power, some for more than a day. Such power outages will likely only become more common, thanks to intensifying weather extremes.

But before checking off the line items below, consider how the best support system for a crisis — perhaps the most renewable form of power — lies in the community itself. Before La Niña’s antici...