It seemed the Nov. 2 snowstorm caught everyone by surprise. The season’s first snowstorm not only came earlier than expected, it also left 4-6 inches of heavy, wet snow that downed power lines and left a significant number of Lincoln County residents without power for several days.

Lincoln County Emergency Management Director Tod Hartung told local citizens gathered at the Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Boothbay Harbor on Dec. 8 that of Central Maine Power’s 26,500 Lincoln County customers, over 19,000 lost power. And some of those customers lost power for 3-4 days.

Hartung, along with the American Red Cross, and Boothbay Region public safety officials, were in the Boothbay region on Dec. 8 to prepare residents for the next power outage. Three seminars were held on Dec. 8 to help local residents manage the next prolonged power outage, or worse, a natural disaster such as a tornado or hurricane. If such a disaster occurred and forced people out of their homes for a prolonged period, the Red Cross wants people prepared.

The seminars were held in the Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church at noon, the Bay Landing Retirement Village in Boothbay Harbor at 2 p.m., and the Boothbay Fire Station at 5 p.m.

In each setting, Hartung and Disaster Program Manager Paul Clark of the American Red Cross gave residents the same message: Be prepared.

Clark, who is the Maine Region director, instructed residents to have a Go-Bag ready.

The bag is filled with essential information a person needs in everyday life. The Go-Bag contains a list of medicines and prescriptions, extra pair of eyeglasses, spare cash, whistle, photo identification (which includes a physical address), and a basic First Aid kit.

Clark believes having these materials assembled prior to a disaster makes dealing with a sudden disaster easier for both victims and public safety workers. He said the medical and prescription drug information was essential because most people can’t go 3-4 days without them.

“If you wait, it’s going to be too late to prepare,” Clark said. “Public safety workers aren’t going to wait for you to gather your belongings in an emergency. They want you out of harm’s way as quickly as possible. So it’s to your benefit to have that ready and leave immediately.”

The Go-Bag is designed for people who need to be evacuated during a natural disaster. A heavy snowfall or an ice storm causing downed power lines rarely results in emergency shelters being opened. Public safety officials urge people to have a plan for combating the loss of power for 3-4 days. They recommend having an extra supply of bottled water, canned food, a can opener, blankets, flashlight with a spare set of batteries, and battery operated radio among items needed to withstand an extended power outage.

Hartung remembered last December’s ice storm, which left his home in Jefferson without power for five days. The storm also affected the neighboring town of Whitefield. Once power is lost, residents seemingly all have the same question, according to Hartung. “Who has the priority?”

Hartung realizes that everybody thinks their situation merits high priority. He further explained the County EMA and CMP procedure for handing widespread power outages.

“Lincoln County has 35,000 people, and they all believe they should have priority,” Hartung said. “But the County Emergency Management Agency’s priority is infrastructure first. This includes hospitals, nursing homes, town offices and water treatment plants. These all need to get power back quickly. And that’s where CMP concentrates its effort.”

While CMP is working to restore power to the county’s infrastructure, Hartung stressed the importance for residents to have plan for combating the cold weather for 3-4 days without power. He recommended having a charged cell phone, even if it’s only for emergency purposes.

“You can always call 9-1-1 with a cell phone, so it’s important to have one,” he said.

Hartung provided the business numbers for the Lincoln County Communication Center — 207-882-7332 — and Boothbay Harbor Police Department — 207-633-5616 — for those seeking information. He said people could always contact these two agencies for information, but there was one question they couldn’t answer.

“We can’t tell you when the power will return,” Hartung said. “It’s the $64,000 question. And even if you had $1 million, we still couldn’t answer it. You just need to be patient.”

Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch said his department typically conducts wellness checks during a prolonged power outage. The town also uses the fire department as a warming center during power outages. Hasch told the public about access to free cell phones.

The Red Cross and County EMA department also provided residents with informational packets about preparing for an emergency. The packets disbursed by the Red Cross and County EMA are available locally by contacting the Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation. Interested parties should call June Phillips or Patty Seybold at 207-633-6290.

Hartung also told residents about another great way to handle a prolonged power outage: a generator.