How Do You Prepare for a Winter Storm Power Outage?

Before a winter storm, store water and food that needs no cooking, gather warm layers and bedding, charge every battery, protect exposed pipes, and test your carbon monoxide alarms. During an outage, warm one room safely, never run a generator, grill or camp stove indoors or in a garage, drip faucets that are at risk of freezing, and expect cell service to weaken as backup power runs out.

What should you do in the days before the storm?

Winter storms usually come with a few days of warning, which is enough time to get most of the work done if you start early.

• Store at least a gallon of water per person per day for several days, and fill bathtubs or buckets for flushing toilets.
• Stock food that doesn't need cooking or refrigeration.
• Refill prescriptions and pick up anything a family member can't go without.
• Charge phones, battery banks, flashlights and any radios.
• Fill the car's gas tank and get some cash in small bills.
• Pull out blankets, sleeping bags, hats and warm layers for everyone.
• Find your main water shutoff valve and make sure it turns.

Our Power Outage Playbook covers why the grid fails and what to keep on hand for any outage. This article focuses on the parts that are specific to cold weather.

How do you stay warm without making the house dangerous?

Carbon monoxide is one of the biggest dangers during winter outages. It has no color or smell, and it comes from anything that burns fuel. Never run a generator, grill, camp stove or charcoal inside the house or in a garage, even with the garage door open. Keep a generator well away from the house, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never use a gas oven or stove to heat your home. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup on every level and near sleeping areas.

If anyone feels a headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness or confusion, especially if more than one person feels it at once, get everyone into fresh air and call 911.

To hold heat, pick one interior room and have the whole family stay there. Close doors to the rest of the house, cover windows with blankets or curtains, and put a rolled towel at the bottom of the door. Dress in layers, wear hats, and stay dry. Only use space heaters rated for indoor use, keep them at least three feet from anything that can burn, and plug them directly into the wall. Watch infants and older adults closely, since they lose heat faster. Shivering, confusion, slurred speech and unusual drowsiness can be signs of hypothermia and need medical attention.

How do you keep pipes from freezing?

Before the storm, insulate pipes in unheated spaces like crawlspaces, attics and garages, and disconnect garden hoses. When temperatures drop, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warmer air reaches the pipes, and let those faucets drip. Moving water is less likely to freeze.

If a pipe bursts, shut off water at the main valve right away. That's why finding it before the storm matters. If you have to leave the house during a long outage, ask your plumber or water utility whether you should shut off and drain the system to prevent damage.

What happens to water service in a winter storm?

Municipal water systems can lose pressure when treatment plants lose power or when burst pipes across town drain the system. When that happens, utilities may issue a boil-water notice. Follow it until the utility lifts it, and use your stored water for drinking and cooking. Homes on private wells lose water when the well pump loses power, so stored water is even more important there.

How do you communicate when cell sites lose power?

Cell sites run on backup batteries or generators when the grid goes down, and that backup lasts a limited time. In a long, widespread outage, coverage can thin out or disappear as sites run out of power, and the sites that stay up get congested. Texts tend to get through more reliably than calls, so keep messages short.

Have a way to get news and weather that doesn't depend on the cell network. A battery-powered radio works, and the BTECH GMRS V2 handheld can receive NOAA weather broadcasts as well as talk to other GMRS radios. GMRS transmitting requires an FCC license, with no exam, and one license covers the licensee's immediate family. For text messaging within a neighborhood without towers, Walkie Textie radios pair with your phone over Bluetooth and send messages to each other directly.

Your plan should also be readable without a signal. ReadyPlan stores your plan on each family member's device after the first sign-in, so your communication plan, contacts and checklists are still there when service drops.

Common questions

Is it safe to use a gas stove to heat the house?

No. Using a gas oven or stovetop for heat can build up carbon monoxide in the home. Use safe heat sources, keep the family in one room, and rely on layers and bedding.

Can I run a generator in the garage if the door is open?

No. An open garage door doesn't clear carbon monoxide fast enough, and the gas can move into the house. Run generators outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents.

Should I leave faucets dripping during a freeze?

Yes, for faucets on exterior walls or connected to pipes in unheated spaces. A slow drip helps keep water moving. Open the cabinet doors under those sinks as well.

When should we leave home during a winter outage?

Set a trigger in advance, such as the inside temperature dropping below a set point or a family member's medical equipment running low on battery. Know where you'd go, whether that's a relative's home with power or a warming center, and how you'd get there safely on icy roads.

For the full rundown on any outage, read the Power Outage Playbook.