How to Prepare Your Home for a Power Outage in Subzero Temperatures
Power outages are never convenient. During subzero winter weather, a power outage can be damaging and even dangerous for a home's occupants. Without electric power, most homes will lose their primary heat source and often, their water supply. Unprotected, unheated pipes may burst. Lack of light during the winter's long, dark hours makes negotiating icy driveways and walkways difficult and dangerous. To be safe, prepare for a subzero power outage during the weeks and months before the onset of winter. Some common-sense planning will help keep your family secure and put your mind at ease throughout the winter. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic window sealer
- Blankets and quilts
- Hay bales
- Weather-stripping
- Insulation
- Kerosene heater or wood stove
- Kerosene or dry wood
- Insulating pipe-wrap
- Hurricane oil lamps
- Lamp oil, wicks and matches
- Stored water
- Flashlights and batteries
- Lighter-plug cell-phone charger
- Cell phone
- Battery-operated radio
- Canned goods
- Manual can opener
- Paper plates
- Board games, cards, puzzles, books
Instructions
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Prepare an alternate heat source if your home depends on electric power to run the furnace. A kerosene heater, wood stove or working fireplace can be a lifesaver during a prolonged winter power outage. Be sure the alternate heat source is clean and ready to operate by October.
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Add insulation if needed to your attic and inside your walls. Add weather-stripping around exterior doors. This will help your home retain heat and will slow the penetration of subzero weather into the home.
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Store fuel for your alternate heat source in a safe, dry location. Keep an ample supply of dry kindling and small pieces of starter wood, as well as dry split logs, if you're planning to use a wood stove or fireplace. Have your supply laid in long before the first threat of snow or wet weather. Wet wood won't burn.
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Wrap your water pipes in insulating tape. Double-wrap the pipes that line the exterior walls. Walk your basement or explore your crawl space when the weather is still warm to identify pipes most vulnerable to freezing drafts and subzero cold.
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Insulate your home's foundation with hay bales pushed snugly up against the home, especially against basement windows. This barrier can act as a first defense against bitter cold trying to seep into your home.
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Roll up rugs and wedge them at the base of doors that lead to the outdoors. These will help absorb cold drafts that drift in under the door.
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Unplug all electrical devices and turn off all but one light switch. This will prevent a power surge that could damage electronics and appliances when the power is restored. Leave one light switch on to alert your family to the return of power.
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Shrink your living and sleeping space to a single room or two for the duration of the power outage. Keep the heat source in one of the rooms. Block off other rooms by closing doors. Cover doorways with blankets and quilts where doors are not available.
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Cover all windows with window-sealing plastic on the interior when the first cool weather sets in. Cover the plastic with blankets or window quilts to form an extra barrier against leaks. Keep extra quilts and insulated sleeping bags for family members to stay warm.
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Keep a supply of hurricane oil lamps, lamp oil, extra chimneys, wicks and kitchen matches on hand to provide both light and heat during a power outage. Have your lamps clean and full before cold weather arrives. Keep extra lamp oil on hand.
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Store enough fresh water to provide 2 gallons of water per person per day. Keep the water stored in clean milk jugs or soda bottles.
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Have a supply of flashlights and a battery-operated radio for emergencies. Keep fresh batteries in your living space. Use a lighter-plug charger to keep a cell phone charged if your land-line telephone doesn't work.
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Tips & Warnings
A supply of board games, cards, books and writing materials will help the time pass if your family members are used to television and computers for entertainment.
Keep at least a week's supply of canned goods that you can eat out of the can, and paper plates for sandwiches or other simple meals. A cast-iron skillet and Dutch oven are useful for fireplace and wood-stove cooking.
Be sure your heating units are well-vented to the outdoors. Never light a charcoal grill in the house.
References
- Photo Credit Snowstorm image by soutra from Fotolia.com
