Winter Storms and Your Home
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Winter storms can bring freezing temperatures, large quantities of snow and ice, high winds and blizzard conditions. Damage to your home or power outages lasting several days may be possible. Preparing before the storm can help you protect your family and your home. Use this checklist to make plans for your home before, during, and after a winter storm situation. |
Before a Winter Storm
Weatherproof/winterize your home.
- Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows.
- Add insulation, insulated doors, storm windows, or thermal-pane windows.
- Insulate any water lines that run along exterior walls so they will be less likely to freeze.
- Know how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
Determine a back-up heating source in case the power goes out.
- Gas or log fireplace with plenty of dry firewood
- Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters
- Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
- Use heating sources only in a well ventilated room to avoid build up of lethal carbon monoxide gas.
- Keep a fire extinguisher close by.
- Have your chimney or flue inspected each year
Install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated.
- Test them monthly.
- Replace batteries twice a year.
During a Winter Storm
Keep as much heat as possible inside your home.
- Check the temperature in your home often during severely cold weather.
- Avoid unnecessary opening of doors or windows.
- Close off unneeded rooms.
- Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
- Close draperies or cover windows with blankets at night.
Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles, if possible.
- Never leave lit candles unattended.
Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
If back-up heating sources are needed
- Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
- Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
- Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture, drapes, or bedding.
- Never cover a space heater.
- Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
If backup power supplies are needed,
- Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
- Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.
Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors—the fumes are deadly.
- Dangerous carbon monoxide can be generated.
After a Winter Storm
Assess the situation.
- Make sure heating systems are working.
- Make sure water pipes are working.
- Look for any damage that may have occurred to your home.
If your pipes do freeze,
- Do not thaw them with a torch.
- Instead, thaw them slowly by directing the warm air from an electric hair dryer onto the pipes.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Buildup of this odorless, lethal gas can occur from the use of alternate fuel sources, or gas powered equipment or vehicles.
- Ensure good ventilation is available before using any of these items.
If there are no other problems, wait for streets and roads to be plowed before you drive anywhere.
Additional Winter Preparedness Resources
What to do before, during and after a winter storm as well as information on possible flooding.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Website providing winter weather basics.
NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory
How to prepare for winter storms and prevent cold temperature-related health problems
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Factsheet discussing measures to take to protect your family from the many hazards of winter weather at home or on the road.
University of Wisconsin Extension
Information on staying safe during severe winter weather.
South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service
Protecting Your Home
Factsheet discussing way to prevent ice dams on roofs.
University of Wisconsin Extension
Factsheet discussing measures to take to reduce the chance of frozen pipes and what to do when pipes freeze.
University of Wisconsin Extension
Factsheet discussing ways to keep warm and safety factors if the power goes out in the winter.
University of Wisconsin Extension