Do this first
- 1Stay inside and off the roads.
- 2Dress in dry layers. Wear a hat and gloves indoors if the heat is out.
- 3Heat out? Gather in one interior room, close off the others, and block door gaps with towels.
- 4Let faucets drip to help keep pipes from freezing.
- 5Eat and drink regularly — your body needs fuel to stay warm.
- 6Stuck in a car: stay in it, call 911, and run the engine about 10 minutes each hour with the exhaust pipe clear of snow. Crack a window.
What to grab
- Warm clothes, blankets, and sleeping bags.
- Flashlight, radio, and extra batteries.
- Water, food, and medications.
- Shovel and ice melt.
Where to go
- One heated interior room at home.
- A warming shelter if the heat fails or you cannot stay warm.
- Stay put — avoid travel until roads are cleared.
What NOT to do
- Don't heat with a generator, grill, camp stove, or oven indoors — carbon monoxide kills.
- Don't overexert shoveling — it can cause heart attacks.
- Don't leave a stalled car unless help is clearly in sight.
- Don't rub frostbitten skin or use alcohol to warm up.
- Shivering, confusion, slurred speech, or numbness: get warm now and call 911 if severe.
All emergenciesGeneral guidance only. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 and follow instructions from local officials.