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