Try the shovel out before you buy it. Check that you can use it comfortably, especially if you have physical challenges. Consider getting a small snow shovel to dig the snow out of smaller corners. Rock salt is not an effective snow melter. While it can melt snow, a shovel will move much more snow quickly. Rock salt and other ice melt treatments are meant for ice, and not effective for snow. If you need to remove snow do so physically. Rock salt and other ice melters can be devastating for your local water and soil, as well as your vehicles and sidewalk. If you must use chemical treatments on paved surfaces, use it only when necessary and only where needed.
You can even make a homemade flashlight.
LED candles and lanterns are a safer alternative to traditional candles. Fire from candles during a blackout is a real risk, especially with small children. If you use candles, put them in safe holders. Keep them away from anything flammable never leave them unattended, and put them out before going to bed. [3] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Eat the perishable food first. The non-perishable items are for eating if there is a prolonged emergency. The perishables should be used up first. Cook meats ahead of time to make them safer if the power goes up. Uncooked hamburger meat is dangerous within hours, but cooked may be safe for quite some time. [4] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source If you drink coffee, consider methods that do not require electricity: French press style, for example, or instant coffee. Your drip coffee pot or Keurig may not work. If you have pets, be sure to stock up on pet food as well.
Consider drinking water and cooking use. You may need more than you think when it comes to not only drinking but for cooking as well. Fill up your bathtub if you have one. You may need water for flushing the toilet. Water can be manually added to the tank after a flush. [5] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
Check through your kit to make sure you have sterile bandages, disinfectants, antibiotic ointment, and over-the-counter painkillers available.
Many states require at least one wall plugged phone, which receives power from the telephone connection, in all households.
Buy powdered milk, as fresh milk may spoil.
In some states, pharmacies are permitted to issue emergency refills when there’s a dangerous weather alert. Check your state’s regulations. However, it does not good to have medicine available at the pharmacy if you are unable to get through the roads. [10] X Research source
Clear rain gutters and repair roof leaks to avoid clogging and flooding. Cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm. [13] X Expert Source Steve LintonCustom Home Builder Expert Interview. 16 September 2020. Consider hiring a contractor to check the structural strength of the roof. Make sure your roof can sustain the unusually heavyweight of snow and ice. Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid them freezing. [14] X Expert Source Steve LintonCustom Home Builder Expert Interview. 16 September 2020. Make sure your furnace has been serviced recently. [15] X Expert Source Barry ZakarHandyman Expert Interview. 16 July 2020. Consider upgrading to dual-pane windows if you don’t already have them. [16] X Expert Source Barry ZakarHandyman Expert Interview. 16 July 2020.
Run the generator outdoors. Do not run it in your house or garage. Plug equipment directly into the generator. Do not use your home’s electrical system while the power is out, as this could harm utility crews.
Stop your pipes from freezing. Go around your house and turn on every faucet so that it’s dripping just slightly. Keeping the water moving through the pipes should help prevent them from freezing. Seal up any drafts. Put towels at the bottom of any doors that have a gap, or around drafty windows. If your windows are single-paned, close the curtains or pin a blanket up over them to keep the heat in.
Dress in layers. Put on a thin layer of synthetic clothing close to your skin and cover as much of your body as you can. Long underwear or warm leggings will help. On top of that, wear as many layers as you need to keep warm, finishing with a pair or two of warm socks and a sweatshirt or coat with a hood. Wear a head covering. You lose a lot of heat from the top of your head, so keep it covered. If you don’t have hooded clothing, wrap a scarf or towel around your head, or put on a warm winter hat. Stay in bed. Put as many covers as you need onto your bed, and hop in. Keeping your body heat in an enclosed space under the sheets will help you stay as warm as possible. Cuddle up. Join forces with a freezing roommate, family member, and even the family pets.
Place frozen items outside. Make use of Mother Nature’s freezer, and put them in a snowbank outside. If temperatures are below freezing, you could also keep refrigerated items on an enclosed porch.
Play cards. Use a classic deck for games like Blackjack, Poker, War, Go Fish, Crazy Eights, or Egyptian Ratscrew. Read a book (to yourself, or aloud for others). Try to pick an engrossing epic that will keep you engaged and entertained for hours, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter novels, or whatever interesting book you happen to be reading. Get artsy. Draw on pads of paper, or do handcrafts like crocheting or knitting.
Watch updates on the news or listen to the radio for as long as you can before the power goes out. Use social media for updates. If you don’t have access to a battery-operated radio, follow national and local disaster agencies (such as FEMA) on Facebook and Twitter. Check periodically for updates. Use SMS messaging if your land-line service is down. You can send an SMS via basic text messaging, or through Twitter updates. Get the phone numbers or Twitter handles of all your family members, keep them handy, and make sure they know how to reach you. Keep tabs on your family members. Try to find out where everyone is before the storm and make a plan to stay in a safe location. If you’re going to be separated from anyone, set up a pre-determined time and method for touching base again (such as connecting via text message every 12 hours).
