While you may believe that you and your family are perfectly safe when inside the home that you provide for them, there are times where your life and the lives of your family members are in danger.
One such scenario is if a blizzard or winter storm hits and strands you without power as the storm is raging on. If this happens, you need to prepare for anything by helping both yourself and your family survive.
The following will provide you with some tips and tricks that will help you to best prepare for such an eventuality.
Be Prepared For Anything
Though being stranded within your house during a blizzard or winter storm isn’t a hugely common occurrence, it does happen more often then you think.
As such, you will want to make a few preparations before this ever happens, to ensure you have everything you need to keep you and your family safe when the blizzard hits.
First of all, you should wrap your water pipes with insulation before a winter storm hits, as they can actually freeze when below 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit, stopping the flow of water altogether.
You also need to make sure, if a winter storm does occur and shuts the power off, that you only use your cellphone when absolutely necessary, as it will be the only access you have to contacting those outside of your home.
Stock Up on Batteries and Food
Two of the foremost essentials during a winter storm without power are food and batteries. Given this fact, you should always be stocked up on both. In regards to food, stocking up well before a winter storm forecast will allow you to avoid the empty aisles that have been picked clean by other shoppers.
Stock up on enough food to feed each member of your family for 7-10 days.
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This includes any pets that you may have. Canned goods are typically the easiest way to accomplish this. When it comes to batteries, stocking up on a dozen or so will allow you to have ample power to use for flashlights and portable radios as your waiting for the worst of the storm to pass.
Safeguard Against Hypothermia and Frostbite
The two most dangerous things that can happen during a winter storm that leaves you without power are frostbite and Hypothermia. Lengthy exposure to extremely cold temperatures will create ice crystals on your skin, possibly resulting in superficial or deep frostbite.
To safeguard against this, apply hot water to the area immediately upon it starting to itch or become discolored. Make sure to wear tons of layers and gloves when inside the house.
Hypothermia will occur if your body loses more heat than it can readily produce. This will result in slurred speech and a slow pulse. The best way to safeguard against this is by wearing tons of layers as well.
Keep Your Home Secure and Safe
While it’s unlikely that a break-in or looting will occur during the middle of a blizzard, it’s still necessary to keep your home secure in order to keep your family safe during a blizzard.
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First of all, make sure to lock all of the doors and windows within your house. It might also be wise to know where a knife is stored just in case you are ever faced with a situation in which someone is able to break in while your power is out.
The most important thing is to keep your family safe.
Purchase a Portable Generator
It’s also recommended that you purchase a portable generator before a storm ever hits. As such, you can simply place it just outside and turn on the transfer switch if you are left without power, which will at least turn on the lights and the furnace, providing your family with the means of getting warm.
