Stock up on emergency supplies for communication, food, safety, heating, and vehicles in case a storm hits.

Communication Checklist

Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure:

• Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries.
• Battery-powered radio, with extra batteries, for listening to local emergency instructions

Heating Checklist

• Turning on the stove for heat is not safe; have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
• Extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats
• Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or a gas log fireplace
• Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
• Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
• Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
• Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
• Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
• Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
• Have the following safety equipment:
• Chemical fire extinguisher
• Smoke alarm in working order (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
• Carbon monoxide detector (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
• Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
• Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
• Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.

Cooking and Lighting Checklist

• Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns.
• Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stoves indoors. The fumes are deadly.
• Avoid using candles as these can lead to house fires.
• If you do use candles, never leave lit candles alone.

Food and Safety Checklist

• Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand.
• Make sure you have the following supplies:
• Drinking water
• Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
• Non-electric can opener
• Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
• Prescription drugs and other medicine
• First-aid kit
• Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
• Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered lamps or lanterns (To prevent the risk of fire, avoid using candles.)

Water Checklist

• Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.
• Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
• Keep the indoor temperature warm.
• Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
• If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
• If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
• Fill the bathtub or have bottled water on hand.
• In an emergency, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.

Car and Emergency Checklist

• Minimize travel, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your vehicle:
• Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries
• Shovel
• Windshield scraper
• Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Water
• Snack food
• Extra hats, coats, and mittens
• Blankets
• Chains or rope
• Tire chains
• Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
• Road salt and sand
• Booster cables
• Emergency flares
• Bright colored flag or help signs
• First aid kit
• Tool kit
• Road maps
• Compass
• Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
• Paper towels