![]() Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from any window or door.Leave one lamp on so you’ll easily know when power comes back.Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid a damaging power surge when the power comes on.Preserve your phone battery and opt to text instead of call to keep your phone lines open.Listen to the news - don’t go outside if conditions are unsafe.You can use snow drifts as a makeshift freezer, but be aware of attracting animals. Don’t eat any food if the bag of ice in your refrigerator melts. Don’t open your refrigerator or freezer unless necessary.Know the signs of hypothermia - uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness - and call 911 if someone shows these symptoms.Know the signs of frostbite - loss of feeling and color in fingers, ear lobes and the tip of the nose - and call 911 if someone has these symptoms.Layer your clothes to stay warm, put on a hat, cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs and put on mittens (they’re better than gloves).Keep doors and windows closed, put towels in front of any drafts.Then report the outage to your electric company. Make sure the outage goes beyond your home by checking to see if your neighbors have lights on.The room is lit by candles because there has been a power cut caused by a thunder storm. Image shows a young boy and girl sitting at the table eating breakfast. Buy a battery-operated or hand-cranked radio to listen for storm updates.If the ice melts and freezes again, it’s a good idea to throw out any food that was in there because it probably spoiled. Put a bag of ice cubes in the freezer in case you have to evacuate.Buy enough warm blankets for the whole family.If someone in your home relies on electric medical equipment, register with your local power company and/or community emergency program.Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned, and get any other secondary heaters (such as pellet or gas stoves) serviced at the beginning of winter to make sure they’re in good, working condition to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.Now is the time to caulk or weather-strip windows and doors. Make sure your home is properly insulated.Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest setting.If your water supply could be affected in a power outage (say if you have a well-water pump system), fill your bathtub for sanitation purposes and fill spare containers with enough drinking water for the whole family.Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.Wrap any exposed pipes with insulation. ![]() You can get one for the whole house, or get a back-up portable generator. Consider investing in a power generator.Stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, pet food, diapers, battery-pack phone chargers and flashlight batteries.If you have a fireplace, stock up on wood and matches.Refill heating fuel, oil or propane if you have heating equipment (or emergency heating equipment).Make an evacuation plan and find out where the local heating shelters in your area are located.Here are our tips for preparing for and staying safe during a power and/or heat outage in winter: Before:
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