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If a winter weather emergency occurs, you could be stuck at home for days with nowhere to go. Schools and workplaces could be closed, and access to healthcare, groceries, power, and transportation could be disrupted.
Because winter storms come in all shapes and sizes – and because they can come out of nowhere – it’s important that people with disabilities take steps to prepare ahead of time. The more prepared you are, the more resilient you’ll be in the face of winter weather.
Below is a checklist of some of the supplies you may want to keep on hand in case you have to shelter in place during extreme winter weather.
Clothes
- Warm clothes: have enough warm clothes on hand and wear multiple layers if you can.
- Blankets: keep blankets on hand to wrap around your body.
- Outerwear: have a warm jacket, hat, scarf, boots, and gloves or mittens to help you stay warm inside your home.
- Pets! Don’t forget your pets or service animals. Make sure you have things to keep them warm and safe, like a coat or a sweater, and booties for going outside.
Food & Water
- Shelf-stable food: keep food items on hand that don’t need refrigeration and that you can eat without cooking. In other words, if the power goes out, make sure you have things you can eat. Have enough food to last at least three days.
- Other food: it’s okay to have food that requires refrigeration (called “perishable food”) or cooking, as long as your pantry is sufficiently stocked with shelf-stable food.
- Water: it is recommended that you have one gallon of drinking water on hand per person per day. So, if there are two people in your home, you would want to have at least six gallons of water to cover three days.
- Pets! Your pets need to eat and drink, too. Make sure you have enough pet food and include your pets’ water needs when planning how much water to have on hand.
Medical
- Medications: keep at least seven days’ worth of both prescription and over-the-counter medications on hand.
- First aid: you can buy a first aid kit or you can build your own. If you already have one, make sure it’s fully stocked and check the expiration dates of the items.
- Wheelchairs: if you use a power wheelchair and the power goes out, it’s a good idea to identify an alternative power source and/or have a light-weight wheelchair in your home.
- Pets! If your pets take medications on a regular basis, have enough on hand to last at least a week.
Gadgets
- Radio: a radio can help you stay informed if you lose access to the internet or TV. Have a radio that can be powered by batteries and/or hand cranked.
- Flashlight: if the power goes out, keep flashlights on hand so you can see regardless of the time of day. Candles and lanterns can help, too, just make sure you have the necessary accessories, like a lighter, fuel source, etc.
- Can opener: keep a can opener and whatever other devices you might need on hand to open food containers for you and for your pets.
- Batteries: have backup batteries for the things you rely on daily, as well as the things you might only use during a winter emergency. This could include backup batteries for hearing aids, wheelchairs, radios, flashlights, etc. Also, have a power bank so you can charge your cell phone and other devices.
Miscellaneous
- Heat source: if your furnace fails, have an alternative in place to help you stay warm. If you have a fireplace, keep firewood on hand. If you have a space heater, make sure you have power or fuel for it. For whatever heat source you use, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, and use appropriate spacing and venting to ensure safety and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Auto or transportation: if you do choose to travel, have winter emergency supplies in the vehicle and ensure the roads are safe.
- Walkways: keep a shovel and salt or sand on hand in case you need to clear walkways for you or for your pets.
Additional Information
- Be Prepared to Shelter in Place During the Winter (Disability Rights Texas)
- Make a First Aid Kit (American Red Cross)
- Preparing for a Winter Storm (CDC)
- Winter Preparedness Checklist (PDF) (National Weather Service)
- Winter Preparedness Tips for Texans with Disabilities (Disability Rights Texas)
- Winter Storm Preparedness Checklist (American Red Cross)
Publication Code: DPR26
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Disclaimer: Disability Rights Texas strives to update its materials on an annual basis, and this handout is based upon the law at the time it was written. The law changes frequently and is subject to various interpretations by different courts. Future changes in the law may make some information in this handout inaccurate.
The handout is not intended to and does not replace an attorney’s advice or assistance based on your particular situation.
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