Is your home set up to handle an emergency? Whether a natural disaster like a tornado or ice storm, or a man-made one like a rolling black out, steps can be taken to keep your family reasonably comfortable during an extended power outage. Here are some green tips to ensure that your family can stay warm, cook food, communicate, and keep clean until the lights come on. 

* Perishable foods: Perishable food can be stored temporarily in coolers until used — the quicker the better. 

* Heat and light: Homes that are equipped with wood stoves have heat for comfort and cooking, while candles, lanterns and flashlights can provide light. Your emergency preparedness kit should include plenty of batteries, matches, a manual can opener, bottled drinks and packaged foods that can be cooked on an outdoor grill or not cooked at all. 

* Communication: If your cell phone doesn’t work well at home, keep a standard — non-cordless — phone that will work without electricity, as your landline can stay in service without electricity.

* Essential water: One of the most important requirements for comfort in a home is a ready supply of water to cook, drink, clean and maintain sanitary conditions. Keeping a supply of bottled water or filling a bathtub with water can work for a short time.