1) Preparing your home and family

• Review and update your family emergency plan.
•  Replenish your emergency supply kits including battery-operated radio and flashlights.
• Have extra blankets on hand.
• Have a plan for meeting the needs of infants, children, seniors and those with disabilities.
• Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
• Move family pets indoors or to an enclosure out of the elements. Likewise protect livestock or other large animals from the cold weather.
• Move plants indoors or cover with blankets or plastic to prevent freezing.
• Maintain a sufficient supply of heating fuel.
• Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip during cold weather to avoid freezing.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
•  Do NOT bring heating devices into the home that are intended for outdoor use, such as barbecues and other cooking equipment or other fuel burning devices. These items can produce deadly carbon monoxide.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
• Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow - or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.

• Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
• Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
• Wear a hat, cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

3) Traveling with caution

• Have your car winterized and make sure it is working properly.
• Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread.
• Augment your car’s emergency supply kit with a shovel, windshield scraper and blankets.
• Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
• Check road conditions before departing.
• Let others know of your route and your estimated time of arrival.
  

• Have your car winterized and make sure it is working properly.
• Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread.
• Augment your car’s emergency supply kit with a shovel, windshield scraper and blankets.
• Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
• Check road conditions before departing.
• Let others know of your route and your estimated time of arrival.

• Confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and shivering are signs of hypothermia. Possibly: if you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
• Gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy skin are symptoms of frostbite. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
• In the case of overexposure to freezing temperatures, remove wet clothing and immediately warm the body with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid caffeine or alcohol.

5) Before the Storm

• Have a safety kit with drinking water, a first aid kit, canned food, radio, flashlight, and blankets ready to go.
• Know safe routes from home, work, and school on high ground.
• Protect your property. Make sure that your flood insurance policy is up to date.

6) During the Storm

• Avoid areas subject to sudden flooding.
• Do not try to walk across running water more than six inches deep.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If your car stalls, abandon it immediately—if you can—and seek higher ground.

7) After the Storm

• Do not turn electricity back on in your home if you smell gas or if the electrical system has been flooded.
• Clean and disinfect everything that was touched by floodwaters or mudflows and throw out any such foodstuffs.
• Follow directions from local officials regarding the safety of drinking water.