What To Do If The Power Goes Out In The Winter

1/28/2021 (Permalink)

Depending on where you live, power outages can happen frequently in the winter — and not just during winter storms. Rain, sleet, high winds and trees falling can all damage power lines and equipment, leading to blackouts.

If your electricity powers your heat, when the power goes out, it can lead to frozen pipes and overall home damage. Being cold for a period of time can also be hazardous to your health. That’s why it’s incredibly important to be prepared for a power outage in the winter — and know what to do when one occurs.

Here are our tips for preparing for and staying safe during a power and/or heat outage in winter:

Before:

• Put together an emergency survival kit
• Make an evacuation plan and find out where the local heating shelters in your area are located.
• Buy lanterns and/or flashlights.
• Refill heating fuel, oil or propane if you have heating equipment (or emergency heating equipment).
• If you have a fireplace, stock up on wood and matches.
• Stock up on non-perishable food, bottled water, pet food, diapers, battery-pack phone chargers and flashlight batteries.
• Consider investing in a power generator. You can get one for the whole house, or get a back-up portable generator.
• Wrap any exposed pipes with insulation.
• Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
• 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.
• Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest setting.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated. Now is the time to caulk or weather-strip windows and doors.
• 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.
• If someone in your home relies on electric medical equipment, register with your local power company and/or community emergency program.
• Buy enough warm blankets for the whole family.
• Put a bag of ice cubes in the freezer in case you have to evacuate. 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.
• Buy a battery-operated or hand-cranked radio to listen for storm updates.

During An Outage:

• Make sure the outage goes beyond your home by checking to see if your neighbors have lights on. Then report the outage to your electric company.
• Keep doors and windows closed, put towels in front of any drafts.
• 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). Huddle under extra blankets.
• 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.
• Know the signs of hypothermia — uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness — and call 911 if someone shows these symptoms.
• Don’t open your refrigerator or freezer unless necessary. Food can stay frozen 24-36 hours. Don’t eat any food if the bag of ice in your refrigerator melts. You can use snow drifts as a makeshift freezer, but be aware of attracting animals.
• Listen to the news — don’t go outside if conditions are unsafe.
• Preserve your phone battery and opt to text instead of call to keep your phone lines open.
• Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid a damaging power surge when the power comes on.
• Leave one lamp on so you’ll easily know when power comes back.
• Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from any window or door.
• Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
• If you use candles to light the room, never leave them unattended and keep them away from pets and children.

If You Have to Evacuate:

• Turn off the main breaker, circuit breaker panel or power supply box.
• Turn off the water main, open all taps and drain the water tank.
• If you have a gas heater, turn out the pilot light.
• Unhook the washing machine hoses.

When The Power Comes Back

• Immediately look for burst pipes. If there appears to be flooding anywhere near electric wiring, shut off the power and call a qualified technician.
• Wait to reconnect any appliances until the electrical system has stabilized — start with reconnecting your heating system.
• Turn your heat up a little above the normal temperature to dry and heat the house quickly.
• Throw out any spoiled food.
• Be very cautious going outside to inspect your home for storm damage because downed or hanging electrical wires can be hidden by show drifts, trees or debris and could be live. If you see any downed wiring, assume the line is live and report it to your utility company. Don’t touch anything the wire is touching.
• Check on and help neighbors if you’re able to.