Emergency Home Preparation

PDF Publication: Extreme Cold Prevention Guide by CDC



A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/pdf/extreme-cold-guide.pdf

When winter temperatures drop significantly below normal, staying warm and safe can become a challenge. Extremely cold temperatures often accompany a winter storm, so you may have to cope with power failures and icy roads. Although staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce the risk of car crashes and falls on the ice, you may also face indoor hazards. Many homes will be too cold -- either due to a power failure or because the heating system isn't adequate for the weather. When people must use space heaters and fireplaces to stay warm, the risk of household fires increases, as well as the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause other serious or life-threatening health problems. Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk, but anyone can be affected. To keep yourself and your family safe, you should know how to prevent cold-related health problems and what to do if a cold-weather health emergency arises.

The emergency procedures outlined here are not a substitute for training in first aid. However, these procedures will help you to know when to seek medical care and what to do until help becomes available. --- Continued at link, above ---

MU Extension

Preparing for an Emergency: Home Heating in an Emergency
https://extension2.missouri.edu/gh5117

At some time you may face a heating emergency — when your home heating system is inoperative for hours or days. At that critical time you must decide how to meet the emergency, either with an alternative source of heat or by seeking shelter elsewhere.

Safety

Safety is of prime importance in choosing an alternate form of heat. Consider all potential hazards and . . . .

Defining the problem

The first step in making a plan is to determine the conditions your family might face if the heating system fails. Take your climate into consideration — how ... ---CONTINUED at LINK---

Ideas to Keep House Warmer



13 Ways to Keep Your House Warmer This Winter
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-keep-your-house-warm-in-the-winter/

(Snip): With winter fast approaching, many people — myself included — are thinking about ways to not only keep the house warm, ....

(Snip): it’s simply not always easy to keep a home warm if it’s older and doesn’t have very good insulation. ---CONTINUED at LINK, above---

House-Getting It Ready for the Cold



15 Ways to Winterize Your Home
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/15-ways-to-winterize-your-home/

(Snip) It doesn’t take much to get your home ready for Old Man Winter. A single weekend is all you need to properly winterize your home. Below, I’ve listed 15 things you can do to ensure you have a warm, safe house this winter ---CONTINUED at LINK, above---

MU Extension

For the Unprepared: Home Heating in an Emergency
https://extension2.missouri.edu/gh5118

Adapted by MU Extension specialists from material prepared by Cooperative Extension Service, University of New Hampshire, Durham.

Your home heat is gone. You've just discovered your heating system may be off for several days. It's cold outside; the inside temperature is dropping. You have a first class emergency on your hands. What can you do?

Your first concern should be to ... ---CONTINUED at LINK---

How to Winterize Your Home
https://www.thereadystore.com/diy/5657/how-to-winterize-your-home/

Post a reply Ice_dam_slate_roof Previously, we talked about what you could do to prepare for a power outage during the winter. But how can do you winterize your home to be ready for the snow and cold weather?

Here are a few points to consider as the winter weather descends upon us. Check out these points and then add your insights below. Your tips could save people money and time as they prepare. ---CONTINUED---

Emergency Heat During a Power Outage and other Winter Storm Preps
https://commonsensehome.com/emergency-heat-winter-storm/

It’s winter, and you always *planned* to get supplies if the power went out. Now it’s below zero and the power just failed. What do you do for emergency heat during a power outage?

This post contains ideas for winter storm survival while sheltering in your home, but many of the ideas could be adapted for elsewhere, especially the section on cold weather clothing. Plan NOW instead of trying to remember all this when you are freezing and the power is out. ---CONTINUED---

How To Heat Your Home Without Electricity
https://www.survivopedia.com/heat-home-electricity/

Without electricity or natural gas, heating a home (especially in colder climates) can be difficult. Most modern homes rely on one or both of these sources for all heating duties.

These conveniences only became mainstream within the last 60 years. Prior to that, people figured out ways to live comfortably in various climate zones. Even today, some people choose to live an off grid lifestyle and are able to do so without electricity or fuel supplies.

What do they use instead of electricity, and natural gas? Read this article to find out! ---CONTINUED---

Keeping Warm – Winter Prep List for You and Your Home
https://commonsensehome.com/keeping-warm-winter-prep-list/

Little things can make a big difference when it comes to keeping warm and comfortable in your home. A friend of mine made one change from this list and raised the temp in her daughter’s bedroom over 10 degrees – without turning up the thermostat. With the right preps, we reduce our heating bills all season, and are in much better shape if a winter storm knocks out the power. ---CONTINUED---

25 Cheap Ways to Keep Your House Warm in Winter
https://commonsensehome.com/cheap-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-in-winter/

For those looking to reduce your heating bill without a big investment, we’ve put together a list of 25 cheap ways to keep your house warm in winter. Some of these options reduce heat loss, others add heat to the home or keep the heat where you need it. ---CONTINUED---

20 Low-Tech Ways to Stay Warm with Less Heat
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/how-to-stay-warm-with-less-heat-2/

(SNIP) ... So, in the interest of low-tech solutions, here are a few ways that we keep warmer without plugging in the electric space heaters. These ideas can be used when the grid is working and most can be used to supplement your winter power outage plan so that you use up fewer resources --- CONTINUED---

Printable Tip sheet here, by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)

Heating Safety
https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/Heating_Safety.ashx?

How to Stay Warm During a Winter Power Outage
https://www.thereadystore.com/blog/how-to-stay-warm-during-a-winter-power-outage

Now that the winter months are upon us, we need to be prepared for power outages. How do you stay warm if the power goes out during a cold winter storm? Here are some points to consider:

Move to One Room ... CONTINUED ...

10+ Things To Do To Winter-Proof Your Home
https://www.askaprepper.com/10-things-to-do-to-winter-proof-your-home/

Cold exposure can kill you, or leave you miserable all winter long. So why don’t you just turn up the heat? Well, heating your home home can be expensive, or take up all you time. I will be presenting some ideas that will save you time and effort this winter. Along with cutting down on your heating bill.

The approach is to look at how nature deals with cold, then apply the lessons in pursuit of the following objectives:

Preserve the heat you have.
Keep the cold out.
Minimize the heating needed.
Create winter comfort ...CONTINUED...

10 Ways to Stay Warm During a Power Outage
https://rethinksurvival.com/10-ways-to-stay-warm-power-outage/

(SNIP) ... consider the following ten tips in the video below. And, while it was intended for the folks suffering through the Texas power outage last winter, the advice is still solid. Perhaps the only disagreement I have is using candles for heat, or for any reason during a power outage. He also offers some good thoughts on providing power, in general, near the end. Enjoy! ---CONTINUED---

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVkRaiTXX3U

Hat Tip: to 'Rick1', over at EHP-D:



Emergency Heat Sources
https://www.happypreppers.com/heat-source.html

When the power goes out be ready with emergency heat. Power outages happen. Stay warm without electricity, even if you don't have a wood stove or a fireplace with these emergency heat
sources. When electricity goes out, these alternative power sources will give you the heat you need. Emergency heaters no electricity required! Below are the best emergency heat sources (no electricity required)... ---CONTINUED---