How to Prepare Your Home for a Winter Storm

It's the third week of January, and we're wrapping up the fifth week of winter. If you've spent more than a year in Maryland, you know that means we're in the first of several Spring Fake-outs. Don't be fooled by the fact that this is basically tee-shirt weather: a winter storm is likely to spring up any minute now. And when that happens, you can be sure the stores will be out of stock of pretty much anything you can think of, the gas stations will have mile-long lines, and bags of salt will suddenly be worth their weight in gold. 

The most important thing you can do, then, is prepare and stock up before a storm is announced. In fact, ideally, the best time to stock up on nonperishable items like batteries, shovels, sidewalk salt, etc. is in the summer - those items won't be in demand at that time, so they'll be easy to find, and you'll likely get a great deal on several of the items because it'll be out-of-season.

But if you didn't get a chance to already prepare, or you aren't sure what you need to do, here are our top tips:

1. Stock up on the basics, plus season-specific necessities. These include:

Snow shovel

Sidewalk salt

Batteries

Solar-powered flashlight

Solar-powered radio

Generator, if possible

Canned/non-perishable foods (aside from the usual cans of beans, chili, etc, also consider getting freeze-dried fruits and vegetables

Don't forget your furry family members! If you have pets, make sure you have at least a week's worth of food stocked up for them.

2. In addition to the standard first-aid kit (bandages, antimicrobial ointment, tweezers, etc.), be sure to keep a "medicine box" (out of reach of children, of course). This should include a supply of ibuprofen (Advil), Acetaminophen (Tylenol), cough syrup and/or expectorant, and a thermometer - you never know when all that snow shoveling will catch up to you in the form of a fever!

3. Water! Forgo the "fun" drinks - don't stock up on juices, sodas, chocolate milk. All you need is water, water, water. If you anticipate running out of food and/or needing a quick electrolyte boost, feel free to get a few Gatorades as well, but water should be your main focus. If you have empty jugs, bottles, jars, or tupperware, fill those up and set them outside to freeze - this may help keep important things like refrigerated medications cooler longer in the event that you lose power for an extended period of time. You could also melt that ice to drink it, if need be.

4. Unfortunately, this one is a bit harder to do ahead of time, but be sure to gas up your car. If you have appropriate gas storage containers and a safe place to store them, then stock up on a couple of those as well. This is especially important if you have a generator that runs on it.

5. Make sure to seal any areas that have the potential to leak warm air out or cold air in - caulk or weather-strip your windows, door jambs, and thresholds. Most stores sell door draft stoppers - cloth logs that you lay across the bottom of your doors to keep warm air in.

6. If you have a fireplace, bring in a good supply of firewood to keep inside (though not too close to the hearth!), and be sure to regularly check your chimney for debris or blockages. Be sure to keep up with regular maintenance with a professional chimney sweep, as well.

7. When salting your driveway, don't forget to also salt your walkways, particularly those leading to important access points in the home (front, back, and garage doors, shed, etc.). To prevent slipping, buy clumping cat litter and sprinkle it onto the walkways along with the salt - this will create texture when everything freezes over, making it easier to keep your footing.

8. Talk to your neighbors! Make a plan for if things turn into an emergency situation for one or all the homes on your street. Does one house have a large generator? Maybe they can plan to be the "charging hub" for phones. Does another house have a huge living room with a fireplace? Maybe they can provide a warm space to sleep in case everyone's heat goes out. That neighbor with 3 fit teens could even volunteer their kids to shovel the driveways ????

The most important tip, though, is also the simplest:

DON'T PANIC!

Everything will turn out just fine - just remember to prepare ahead of time, and don't get sucked into the chaos!