There are many reasons you can experience a power outage. While thunderstorms with severe winds, rain and lightning are often the primary cause of outages, winter storms also pack a considerable punch. With freezing rain sticking to tree branches and power lines, outages can affect tens of thousands of people in varying communities.

When you’re inside the house during an outage, candles, lanterns, and even emergency lighting are par for the course. But what happens if you need to leave your home and your car is in the garage? More than a step in any process, you must always be safe. The prevention of injury is vital when dealing with your garage door because its the most massive movable object you might ever own.

Here’s a quick guide on how to operate your automatic garage door opener after a power outage.