Winter Power Outage Prep

  

Winter storms can bring freezing temperatures, mountains of snow and dangerous travel conditions, but they can also result in downed trees and power lines causing power outages.

Before the power goes out in your winter hideaway, follow these preparedness tips from Ready.gov:

• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, water, food, prescription medication, cash, first aid supplies, and extra clothing, blankets or sleeping bags to stay warm.
• Make sure you have alternative charging methods for your phone or any device that requires power. For more information visit, Get Tech Ready.
• If you rely on anything that is battery-operated or power dependent like a medical device, determine a back-up plan. For more planning information tips visit, the Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs pages.
• Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it.
• Keep your car’s gas tank full. Gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps. 
• If you use your car to re-charge devices, do NOT keep the car running in a garage, or close to your home, this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Be prepared to close off unused rooms to consolidate and retain heat.
• If the power may be out for a prolonged period, plan to go to another location (the home of a relative or friend, or a public facility) that has heat to keep warm.
• Only use generators outside, away from your home and NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage, or connect it to your home's electrical system. For more information about generators visit, the Generator Safety page of the Department of Energy.

Visit Ready.gov for more tips on how to prepare for a Winter Power Outage.