Winter outages are especially dangerous because losing power often means losing heat. Ice storms bring down lines and trees, and long cold snaps push heating demand so high that the grid can run short, as millions of Texans learned during the February 2021 winter storm.
Why ice is the biggest threat
Freezing rain coats everything in ice. A quarter inch or more can snap branches and bring down power lines, and damage often keeps spreading for hours after the storm as ice-laden trees fall.
Staying warm safely
- Close off unused rooms and gather everyone in one room with layers and blankets.
- Never use a gas oven or stove to heat your home.
- Run generators only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, and keep a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm on every floor.
- Let faucets drip to help keep pipes from freezing.
- If your home gets dangerously cold, go to a warming center or a friend’s home with power.
Before the storm
Charge everything, fill your car’s tank, and print the 72-hour outage plan. If you rely on powered medical equipment, make a backup power plan now and use our calculator to size it.
Get ready before the lights go out
Print our free 72-hour outage plan and checklists, then find the backup battery that can run what matters in your home.