• Follow local weather reports.
• Keep your fridge and freezer doors closed. This will keep items cold or frozen for several hours during an outage.
• Keep doors and blinds/drapes closed.
• Turn your thermostat to the lowest setting.
• Light wood stove or fireplace before house cools down.
• Do not use camp stoves, barbecues or kerosene fixtures indoors for heating purposes.
• If using a generator, plug appliances directly into generator.
• Drain your water lines if there is a chance of water freezing.
• If there is a chance of freezing pour non-toxic antifreeze into drains and peatraps.

Do not enter your basement if it floods, an electrical source may have come in contact with an appliance.  Call a certified electrician to disconnect your electricity, never touch circuits or breakers while standing or touching a wet surface with your hands.

• Turn up your thermostat 15 minutes after power is restored.
• If basement was flooded, have an electrician inspect circuitry.
• If anti-freeze was used, flush all drains.
• Plug in appliances 15 minutes after electricity is restored.
• Turn off standby heating/generators.
• Replenish your emergency kit if used.

Include these items:

• Fresh water
• Batteries/flashlight
• Battery operated radio/clock
• Cell phone
• USB battery charger for cell phone
• Candles/waterproof matches
• Extra blankets/coats hats and gloves
• First aid kit
• Non perishable food items
• Disposable tableware and cutlery
• Manual can opener
• Bottled water
• Whistle/signal device