Winter Storm Preparedness: How to Stay Safe When the Power Goes Out

A winter storm knocks out power at 11pm on a Tuesday in January. The temperature outside is 12°F and dropping. Your heat runs on an electric blower, so it’s out too. Your pipes haven’t frozen yet, but they will if the house temperature drops below 32°F.

This is the scenario most households aren’t prepared for — and it’s far more common than most people expect. The 2021 Texas freeze left millions without power for days. Winter storms in the Northeast routinely knock out heat and electricity for 3–5 days in affected areas. FEMA recommends preparing for exactly this: cold, dark, and on your own.

Here’s how to do it.

Heating Your Home Without Power

This is the highest-priority challenge in a winter storm outage. Your options depend on what you have available — plan before you need it.

Safe Heating Alternatives

Propane or kerosene space heaters (ventilated): A quality indoor-safe propane heater can keep one or two rooms warm through an extended outage. The key word is indoor-safe — heaters designed for indoor use have low-oxygen shutoff features that standard outdoor heaters lack.

Run them in a room you can seal off, and crack a window slightly to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Never run any fuel-burning heater in a sealed room, RV, or tent. Carbon monoxide is odorless and kills quickly.

→ See top-rated indoor-safe propane heaters on Amazon

Wood fireplace or wood stove: If you have one, keep a supply of dry firewood on hand before winter. A cord of wood stored under a tarp is cheap insurance for heating one room through a week-long outage. Make sure your chimney has been cleaned within the last year.

Stay in one room: Body heat is real. If power is out, pick the smallest interior room in the house (fewer exterior walls = less heat loss), hang blankets over doorways, and have the whole family sleep in that space. Combined with emergency blankets, it can make a meaningful difference.

Don’t heat with these:

Outdoor propane grills or camp stoves — deadly carbon monoxide risk indoors
Charcoal grills or hibachis — same risk
Ovens — not designed for heating and can also produce carbon monoxide

Supplies: What to Have on Hand

Food and Water for 3–7 Days

Most winter storms are 1–3 day events, but severe ones can cut off roads and utilities for a week. Stock for the longer scenario.

Water:

1 gallon per person per day minimum
If pipes freeze or water service fails, you need stored water
Consider filling bathtubs before a major storm is forecast — it’s a backup supply for toilet flushing and washing

Food:

Focus on shelf-stable items that require minimal cooking: canned soups, crackers, peanut butter, oats, nuts
Have a way to heat food — a propane camp stove (used only near an open window) or the same space heater you’re using for warmth
Don’t forget comfort: hot tea, instant coffee, hot chocolate. Morale matters on day 4.

Warmth and Clothing

Emergency Mylar blankets — lightweight, surprisingly effective, worth having in every room
Sleeping bags rated for cold weather (0°F bags if you live in a cold climate)
Wool socks, thermal layers, and hats — indoor temperatures can drop significantly during a multi-day outage

→ See emergency blankets and cold-weather survival kits on Amazon

Power and Light

Power bank: Keep it fully charged going into any storm forecast. One large-capacity bank (20,000+ mAh) can recharge most smartphones 4–5 times.
Headlamps: One per adult. Battery-powered beats candles for safety.
Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio: Keeps you updated on conditions, road closures, and when power restoration is expected.

→ See high-capacity power banks for emergency use

Your Car Kit for Winter

If you get stranded while driving in a winter storm, your car becomes your shelter until help arrives. Keep a winter car kit in your trunk from November through March:

Emergency blankets (2+) — for warmth if stranded
Hand warmers (several packs) — pack of 10 is cheap insurance
Ice scraper and small shovel
Sand or kitty litter — for traction if you get stuck
Jumper cables or a jump starter pack
Basic first aid kit
Water and a few snacks — even granola bars
Charged phone charger
Reflective triangles or road flares

The kit adds maybe 15 pounds to your car and takes up a small corner of your trunk. The peace of mind is worth considerably more.

Recognizing Hypothermia and Frostbite

These are real risks during extended cold-weather emergencies — especially for elderly family members, young children, and anyone who has been outside or in an unheated space.

Hypothermia Warning Signs

Hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls below 95°F.

Mild:

Shivering (the body trying to generate heat)
Slurred speech
Clumsiness or fumbling hands
Confusion or difficulty thinking clearly

Severe:

Shivering stops (a bad sign — the body has used up its ability to self-warm)
Extreme fatigue, difficulty staying awake
Slow pulse and shallow breathing

What to do:

Move the person to a warm, dry location immediately
Remove wet clothing and replace with dry blankets or layers
Warm the core first — armpits, neck, chest
Give warm beverages if the person is conscious and can swallow safely
For moderate to severe symptoms, call 911 or get to emergency medical care

Frostbite Warning Signs

Affects extremities first: fingers, toes, ears, nose.

Skin becomes red, then white or grayish
Numbness or a waxy feeling
Hard skin (indicates deep frostbite)

What to do:

Get to warmth
Rewarm in warm (not hot) water — around 99–104°F
Don’t rub frostbitten skin — it damages tissue
Don’t rewarm if there’s any chance of refreezing

Check on Your Neighbors

Winter storms are especially dangerous for elderly neighbors who live alone, households with infants, and anyone with a medical condition that requires electricity (CPAP, oxygen, refrigerated medication).

Before a storm hits, identify vulnerable neighbors. During an extended outage, check in. A brief knock on the door on day 2 can make a real difference.

The Bottom Line

Winter storm preparedness comes down to three things: warmth, supplies, and information. Have a safe way to heat at least one room. Stock a week of food and water. Have a way to receive emergency updates when the internet is down. Everything else — the car kit, the emergency blankets, checking on neighbors — builds on that foundation.

The good news is that most of what you need costs very little and stores easily. A few hours of preparation before winter starts is worth a week of comfort and safety when the storm hits.

For official cold weather preparedness guidance, visit FEMA’s winter storms page at Ready.gov.