What to do if you lose power during a winter storm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually we lose power during a summer storm and can just drive to a hotel if need be. What do we do if we lose power in a winter storm but the roads are impassable? We only have a gas fire place (but haven't had it checked yet so don't feel comfortable using it) and don't have a generator. Do we just put blankets on and hope for the best? We have young kid (under 10) and a dog.

Invest in a whole house generator and never lose power again.

Or you can live near a secret government building in the boonies like me. Power went out during that huge derecho, then they lost their generator four days later. Husband said suits started filling the street behind us and within 24 hours, we had power. Then the power company called my husband for his help for a plan of burying all the power lines, which has now been done (we had an easement that was key to the neighborhood)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insulate the house as much as possible - keep the blinds down, stuff blankets around any drafty doors.

Huddle the family together in one room, preferably one with doors rather than an open floor plan space. Body heat generates a fair amount of heat, but you need to keep it contained in one room. If that room has a fireplace, even better.

Light exercise to keep warm - jumping jacks and similar. Not so much that you break into a sweat - you want to stay dry.

Hot liquids - drinks and soup.

Do NOT run a propane camping stove or heater indoors. You can use your kitchen gas stove if you have one, but any portable propane devices need ventilation.

Abso-frickin'-lutely not. Do not do this. If you don't believe me, a simple google search will confirm.

2nd this - do not do it as it is a carbon monixide issue and could kill you.

Can you explain? Even in a power outage, you can smell the gas (additive), right?

Not a gas oven, but why not use a gas stove if you light it rapidly?

Carbon monoxide isn't the gas itself, it's improperly burned gas. So stressing a cooking system as a heater can result in the improper burning of gas. Hence why you won't smell it.

Look guys, a few hours of being under a bunch of blankets inside your house won't harm you. People camp in the snow all the time. But flailing around trying to use generators or ovens to heat your house when you don't know what you're doing could.

Of course you shouldn't use your stove as a heater!

But if the power goes out... you're telling me I can't boil water on the gas stove to make tea/coffee? Or heat up some soup?

That seems overly cautious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insulate the house as much as possible - keep the blinds down, stuff blankets around any drafty doors.

Huddle the family together in one room, preferably one with doors rather than an open floor plan space. Body heat generates a fair amount of heat, but you need to keep it contained in one room. If that room has a fireplace, even better.

Light exercise to keep warm - jumping jacks and similar. Not so much that you break into a sweat - you want to stay dry.

Hot liquids - drinks and soup.

Do NOT run a propane camping stove or heater indoors. You can use your kitchen gas stove if you have one, but any portable propane devices need ventilation.

Abso-frickin'-lutely not. Do not do this. If you don't believe me, a simple google search will confirm.

2nd this - do not do it as it is a carbon monixide issue and could kill you.

Can you explain? Even in a power outage, you can smell the gas (additive), right?

Not a gas oven, but why not use a gas stove if you light it rapidly?

Carbon monoxide isn't the gas itself, it's improperly burned gas. So stressing a cooking system as a heater can result in the improper burning of gas. Hence why you won't smell it.

Look guys, a few hours of being under a bunch of blankets inside your house won't harm you. People camp in the snow all the time. But flailing around trying to use generators or ovens to heat your house when you don't know what you're doing could.

Why do you think power would return in a few hours??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The latest forecasts show that the truly hazardous amounts of ice are going to stay well away from the DC area. 6-10” of snow plus a coating of ice won’t (ok, shouldn’t … I don’t put anything past the power companies) disrupt the power grid and it’s not going to be particularly windy during the storm either.

And the ice will come in the form of sleet so we should be fine. Sleet is ice pellets that hit the ground and do not stick to power lines

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Usually we lose power during a summer storm and can just drive to a hotel if need be. What do we do if we lose power in a winter storm but the roads are impassable? We only have a gas fire place (but haven't had it checked yet so don't feel comfortable using it) and don't have a generator. Do we just put blankets on and hope for the best? We have young kid (under 10) and a dog.

I would have someone check out that chimney and gas fireplace before you light it up. It could start a house fire. Dog can be used as a blanket to save the kids in an event of cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insulate the house as much as possible - keep the blinds down, stuff blankets around any drafty doors.

Huddle the family together in one room, preferably one with doors rather than an open floor plan space. Body heat generates a fair amount of heat, but you need to keep it contained in one room. If that room has a fireplace, even better.

Light exercise to keep warm - jumping jacks and similar. Not so much that you break into a sweat - you want to stay dry.

Hot liquids - drinks and soup.

Do NOT run a propane camping stove or heater indoors. You can use your kitchen gas stove if you have one, but any portable propane devices need ventilation.

Abso-frickin'-lutely not. Do not do this. If you don't believe me, a simple google search will confirm.

2nd this - do not do it as it is a carbon monixide issue and could kill you.

Can you explain? Even in a power outage, you can smell the gas (additive), right?

Not a gas oven, but why not use a gas stove if you light it rapidly?

Carbon monoxide isn't the gas itself, it's improperly burned gas. So stressing a cooking system as a heater can result in the improper burning of gas. Hence why you won't smell it.

Look guys, a few hours of being under a bunch of blankets inside your house won't harm you. People camp in the snow all the time. But flailing around trying to use generators or ovens to heat your house when you don't know what you're doing could.

Of course you shouldn't use your stove as a heater!

But if the power goes out... you're telling me I can't boil water on the gas stove to make tea/coffee? Or heat up some soup?

That seems overly cautious?

You can cook on your stovetop. You cannot turn on your oven and leave the door open as a heat source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insulate the house as much as possible - keep the blinds down, stuff blankets around any drafty doors.

Huddle the family together in one room, preferably one with doors rather than an open floor plan space. Body heat generates a fair amount of heat, but you need to keep it contained in one room. If that room has a fireplace, even better.

Light exercise to keep warm - jumping jacks and similar. Not so much that you break into a sweat - you want to stay dry.

Hot liquids - drinks and soup.

Do NOT run a propane camping stove or heater indoors. You can use your kitchen gas stove if you have one, but any portable propane devices need ventilation.

Abso-frickin'-lutely not. Do not do this. If you don't believe me, a simple google search will confirm.

2nd this - do not do it as it is a carbon monixide issue and could kill you.

Can you explain? Even in a power outage, you can smell the gas (additive), right?

Not a gas oven, but why not use a gas stove if you light it rapidly?

Carbon monoxide isn't the gas itself, it's improperly burned gas. So stressing a cooking system as a heater can result in the improper burning of gas. Hence why you won't smell it.

Look guys, a few hours of being under a bunch of blankets inside your house won't harm you. People camp in the snow all the time. But flailing around trying to use generators or ovens to heat your house when you don't know what you're doing could.

Of course you shouldn't use your stove as a heater!

But if the power goes out... you're telling me I can't boil water on the gas stove to make tea/coffee? Or heat up some soup?

That seems overly cautious?

You can cook on your stovetop. You cannot turn on your oven and leave the door open as a heat source.

Right. No one saying to do that. That would be very, very stupid. We're saying use the stove to cook or heat food. Not oven.

[Anonymous]

You can get hot water bottles, that should keep you warm.

[Anonymous]

All fridge and freezer food can easily be in the deck or just outside in bags.

[Anonymous]

A warm hat and warm socks are key. Those extremities need to be protected. Of course, all the other stuff-sweaters, warm sweats, but I swear sleeping with a warm hat made it manageable/

[Anonymous]

If you can't figure out how to survive this in the modern age, just go ahead and die. It's natural selection at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we still get a generator?? I think we really will need a generator !

They aren’t small. Where are you going store it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually we lose power during a summer storm and can just drive to a hotel if need be. What do we do if we lose power in a winter storm but the roads are impassable? We only have a gas fire place (but haven't had it checked yet so don't feel comfortable using it) and don't have a generator. Do we just put blankets on and hope for the best? We have young kid (under 10) and a dog.

Invest in a whole house generator and never lose power again.

Or you can live near a secret government building in the boonies like me. Power went out during that huge derecho, then they lost their generator four days later. Husband said suits started filling the street behind us and within 24 hours, we had power. Then the power company called my husband for his help for a plan of burying all the power lines, which has now been done (we had an easement that was key to the neighborhood)

Sounds good. Let’s all move to that neighborhood. That will be easier than buying a little generator.

[Anonymous]

We bought a lot of wood to burn in a fireplace, got another tank of gas for the grill. I am making a few meals for a weekend that would last us 2-3 days. Our stove is electric. IF we lose power for 3-4 days, hopefully we all can be in one room with the fireplace to stay warm.

[Anonymous]

PEOPLE DO NOT TURN YOUR OVEN ON AND LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN YOU ARE POISONING YOURSELVES.


I can't belive how many people DON'T KNOW THIS.