Winter Storm Preparedness: Home Safety Training Guide

Winter storms can disrupt heat, electricity, transportation and access to routine care. Caregivers can use this checklist to make practical plans for the person receiving care, the household and anyone who may need to help.

Updated August 17, 2026. Emergency conditions and instructions vary by location. Monitor current local alerts, follow directions from emergency officials, and call 911 or the local emergency number when someone is in immediate danger.

Alerts and communication

  • Sign up for local emergency alerts and monitor the National Weather Service or another official weather source.
  • Write down backup contacts, including nearby family, neighbors, home-care staff, transportation providers and the care team. Share the plan with the people expected to help.
  • Keep phones and backup batteries charged. Have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio available if mobile service or internet access fails.
  • Decide how you will check on the care recipient if roads close or the primary caregiver cannot reach the home.

Supplies, medicines and care needs

  • Keep water, shelf-stable food, flashlights, batteries, blankets, first-aid supplies and hygiene items where they are easy to reach. Include food and supplies for service animals or pets.
  • Maintain a current medicine list, allergy list, care-team contacts and copies of essential health information. Refill routine medicines early when a storm is forecast, following pharmacy and insurance rules.
  • Make an alternate plan for medicines that require refrigeration. Ask the pharmacist or prescriber in advance how each medicine should be stored during an outage and what to do if its temperature is uncertain.
  • Pack mobility aids, hearing-aid batteries, glasses, incontinence supplies, wound-care supplies and other daily necessities that would be difficult to replace during a closure.

Home and vehicle preparation

  • Have heating equipment inspected and use it only as the manufacturer directs. Test smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors.
  • Protect exposed pipes as appropriate for the home, and know how to shut off water if a pipe breaks.
  • Keep a vehicle emergency kit with warm clothing, blankets, a flashlight, water, food, a phone charger and needed mobility or medical supplies. Avoid travel when local officials advise people to stay off the roads.
  • Plan for snow and ice removal on steps, ramps and walkways without asking someone at high risk of a fall or heart problem to do unsafe physical work.

Power outages and carbon-monoxide safety

  • List every power-dependent medical device and its battery runtime. Ask the device supplier and care team about safe backup power, charging and evacuation options before an outage.
  • Identify a backup location that has heat and power and can accommodate mobility, communication and medical needs. Check with local officials about open warming centers or shelters.
  • Run a portable generator only outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Never run one in a home or garage, even with doors or windows open.
  • Never use a gas oven or stovetop to heat the home. These practices can cause deadly carbon-monoxide poisoning.
  • If a carbon-monoxide alarm sounds or anyone develops possible exposure symptoms, move to fresh air and call 911. Do not re-enter until emergency officials say it is safe.

Sheltering and evacuation

  • Follow current local instructions about sheltering, warming centers and evacuation. Do not wait for conditions to become life-threatening before using a planned accessible location.
  • Confirm transportation that can accommodate the person, mobility equipment, service animal and essential supplies. Keep a second transportation contact in case the first is unavailable.
  • Prepare a go-bag with identification, health information, medicines, device supplies, chargers, warm clothing and comfort items. Keep it near the exit.
  • Tell a trusted contact where you are going. If someone cannot be moved safely or a powered device is at risk of stopping, call the appropriate emergency or medical service promptly.

After the storm

  • Wait for official guidance before returning to an evacuated area. Watch for damaged power lines, structural damage, unsafe heating equipment and slippery surfaces.
  • Check medicines, food and medical supplies affected by temperature or water. Contact the pharmacist, prescriber or supplier when safe use is uncertain.
  • Check on the care recipient's hydration, warmth, breathing, mobility and emotional well-being. Seek medical help for concerning symptoms rather than assuming they are only stress or cold exposure.
  • Note what worked and update contact lists, supplies and backup arrangements before the next storm.

Printable public checklist

Print this page or save it with the household emergency plan. Before a winter storm, confirm that you have:

  • Local weather and emergency alerts enabled
  • Two backup contacts and an accessible transportation plan
  • A current medicine, allergy and care-team list
  • A pharmacist-approved plan for refrigerated medicines
  • Backup power or an evacuation plan for medical devices
  • Working smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors
  • Home and vehicle emergency supplies
  • A warm, powered backup location
  • A packed go-bag and mobility supplies
  • A plan for checking on the care recipient after the storm

Authoritative sources

Subscriber download

The subscriber-only download below is a 97 KB PDF titled Winter Storm Safety and Emergency Preparedness v2. It is available after signing in; readers without an account can use the page's subscriber signup option. The public checklist above remains available without signing in.